The Tripura government has also decided to start the paddy procurement from December 11 next from 49 designated centres across the state and this time the government will procure a total of 40,000 metric tons of paddy directly from state’s farmers on minimum support price (MSP) of Rs. 21.83 per kilogram.

Addressing a joint press conference at the Civil Secretariat on Saturday afternoon, Agriculture Minister Ratan Lal Nath and Food Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that the paddy procurement will continue up to January 31st, 2024.

Giving details, Food and Civil Supply Minister Sushanta Chowdhury said that the paddy procurement will start from a designated centre located at Melaghar under Sepahijala district from December 11.

He said that for the procurement of paddy in the present ‘Kharif’ season, a meeting through video conferencing chaired by Agriculture Minister along with SDMs of 23 subdivisions and eight district Agriculture officers and in the virtual meeting , it has been decided that the procurement will start from December 11 with enhance rate of Rs. 21.83 per kilogram of paddy.

Speaking in the press meet, Minister Ratan Lal Nath said that after formation of BJP government in Tripura, the procurement of paddy from farmers of the state with MSP has been started twice in a year for doubling the farmer’s income and in the present ‘Kharif’ season, the government will procure 40,000 metric tons of paddy.

He said that from 2018-19 to 2022-23, the state government has procured 1,79,219 metric tons of paddy directly from 91,377 farmers  and farmers get a sum of Rs. 342.34 crore.

The paddy procurement in 2018-19 has been started with Rs. 17.50 per kg of MSP and in the present financial year, it has been increased at Rs. 21.83 per kg.

During the press meet, the secretary of Food and Civil Supply department Raval Hemendra Kumar, director of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare department, Sharedhendu Das and additional director of Food department, Animesh Debbarma were also present.