MSP operations meant to benefit farmers, not traders: Chouhan

Addressing a news conference, he said the Civil Supplies Corporation would ensure its competitive presence in every market where the need for regulating private operations was felt.

Hyderabad: Civil Supplies Commissioner DS Chouhan made it clear on Saturday that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) operations were meant for the farmers in State and not traders.

Addressing a news conference, he said the Civil Supplies Corporation would ensure its competitive presence in every market where the need for regulating private operations was felt. The primary objective of the market intervention policy was to ensure fair price for the growers. The corporation would not come in the way of the traders buying paddy offering over and above the minimum support price. It would not come in the way of paddy moving to other markets where the farmers were able to fetch remunerative prices.

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But paddy stocks bound for the State markets from neighbouring States would not be allowed as it would not be in the interest of the farmers of Telangana. As many as 56 check-posts were set up on the inter-state borders to regulate the movement of paddy. There would be no ban on movement of paddy by growers to neighboring States where they were assured of a better price, he said, assuring farmers that the Corporation was prepared to open more paddy purchase centres if needed.

The Corporation had made elaborate arrangements putting in place adequate infrastructure by opening as many as 7149 paddy purchase centres to ensure that that the farmers would be able to make out the maximum from their produce. It had procured 1.87 lakh metric tonnes from 6919 procurement centres so far in the current season. The paddy arrivals started in a big way from Nalgonda, Nizamabad, Jagityal, Jangaon and Nirmal districts. They were yet to gain momentum in rest of the districts.

He assured the farmers that the Corporation would ensure the minimum support price for paddy with permissible moisture levels. In some cases, the moisture levels as high as 52.5 per cent. The procurement would continue till the end of June and the farmers need not opt for harvesting in haste before it was fully grown, he added.