Paddy procurement reaches final stage in erstwhile Karimnagar

In Karimnagar, about 2.27 lakh metric tons of paddy has been procured from 37,500 farmers through 321 purchasing centres. So far, Rs.414 crore has been deposited in bank accounts of 27,367 farmers.

Karimnagar: Amid farmers’ protests, the procurement of paddy has reached the final stage in the erstwhile Karimnagar district. While the procurement has been delayed in a few areas where the crop was sowed lately, unseasonal rains have also delayed the process.

In Karimnagar, about 2.27 lakh metric tons of paddy has been procured from 37,500 farmers through 321 purchasing centres. So far, Rs.414 crore has been deposited in bank accounts of 27,367 farmers.

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Officials have fixed a target to procure 3.50 lakh metric tons in this season. Meanwhile, 2.21 lakh metric tons (Rs 484 crore worth) crop was purchased from 29,955 farmers in Peddapalli district. So far, Rs.354 crore was deposited in the bank accounts of 22,880 farmers.

With a target to procure 3.50 lakh metric, 311 centres were opened across the district. Similarly, 2.65 lakh metric tons (Rs 582.97 crore worth) was procured from 36,555 farmers in Jagtial district. So far, Rs 888.60 crore was deposited in the bank accounts of farmers.

427 PPC centres were opened to procure 4.50 lakh metric tons. In Rajanna-Sircilla district, 2.08 lakh metric tons was procured from 31,200 farmers in and Rs.344 crore was deposited in the bank accounts of 28,612 farmers. The process is expected to be completed in the next one week in all the districts.

Though officials have started procurement according to the schedule by establishing the purchasing centres under IKP, PACS and MEPMA, the process was delayed due to various reasons.

In a few areas, farmers sowed the crop lately. Subsequently, the harvesting was also delayed. Unseasonal rainfall was another reason that delayed the process.

The moisture percent of the crop is naturally high since the paddy has directly been shifted to purchasing centres after harvesting. So farmers will dry the crop in centres till the moisture levels decline to 17 percent.

In between, crop stocked in purchasing centres was soaked due to unseasonal rains that lashed the erstwhile Karimnagar district recently. Farmers are asking the government to purchase the soaked paddy.