As paddy procurement for the year 2000-21 will start from tomorrow, a total of 21,29,764 farmers have registered to sell their paddy in the state, officials said on Monday.
The area under which paddy is sown this year is more than 27, 59, 385 hectares in the year 2000-21. As per the records, in the last two years, the area under paddy has increased from 19.36 lakh hectare to 27.59 lakh hectare.
The Chhattisgarh government had purchased 80.38 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from 15.71 lakh farmers in the year 2018-19 while in the year 2019-20, 83.94 lakh metric tonnes of paddy were purchased from 18.38 lakh farmers.
“In 2017-18, 76.47 percent farmers sold paddy while total 92.61 percent of farmers sold paddy in the year 2018-19. In the last marketing year 2019-20, 94.02 percent farmers in the state sold paddy at the support price,” the official added.
It is worth mentioning that, in November 2019, the Congress government had decided to procure paddy at Rs 1835 per quintal, at the Centre fixed rate but also said it is committed to fulfilling all the promises made to the state’s farmers. It had also said that it will find a way so that farmers get Rs 2500 per quintal.
The Centre had fixed Rs 1815 per quintal for common grade paddy and Rs 1835 per quintal for Grade A paddy as compensation. Later, a five-member committee was constituted to study how a benefit of Rs 2500 per quintal could be ensured to farmers.
Later, the Bhupesh Baghel government launched a scheme “Rajiv Gandhi Nyay Yojna” under which the difference amount has been given in four installments.
“Under this scheme 19 lakh farmers of the state are being given in four installments an amount of Rs 5750 crores. So far, direct assistance of Rs 4500 crore has been given to the farmers in three installments,” a senior official said.
