CHANDIGARH: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) and the state procurement agencies have made all the necessary arrangements for the smooth procurement of paddy which begins tomorrow.

The date of procurement of paddy in Punjab had been advanced to September 26 from October 1 on the instructions of the Union Agriculture and Food Minister Sharad Pawar. In the rest of the country the procurement would begin on October one.

Mr Pawar had preponed the procurement date after Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh pointed out to the Union Minister that paddy arrivals had already picked-up in the border state. The farmers were being forced to sell their crop at below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) to private parties, the Chief Minister had said.

Due to timely sowing and sufficient rains Punjab is all set for a bumper paddy production of 155 lakh metric tonnes against last year's 150 lakh Mt despite the fact that area under paddy fell by one lakh hectares this year.

FCI, senior regional manager, S S Bhatoa said here today that the FCI was ready to enter the Punjab markets from tomorrow. With the preponment of date of procurement, the farmers facing distress sale as a result of early harvesting would get relief, he added.

Punjab Food and Supplies Minister Avtar Henry when contacted said that the state government had set up 1450 purchase centers for paddy procurement.

The procurement agencies which include, Markfed, Food and Supplies department, Punjab Agros, Punjab Warehousing Corporation and PUNSUP are ready to enter the market,he assured.

He also disclosed that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given its sanction of Rs 6700 crores to the Punjab government for the procurement of paddy crop. The Minister has already held meetings with the officials of all the procurement agencies to review the procurement arrangements. - UNI

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