LIFTING OF PADDY GOING ON SMOOTHLY IN ALL DISTRICTS - LAL CHAND KATARUCHAK

90% OF PADDY ALREADY PURCHASED

UNSOLD PADDY BELOW ONE DAY'S ARRIVAL

Rs. 5,683 CRORES DIRECTLY TRANSFERRED INTO FARMERS' ACCOUNTS

Chandigarh, October 23:

With more than 50% rice mills allotted for storage & milling of paddy for ongoing Kharif Marketing Season 2024-25, lifting of paddy is going on smoothly in all districts of the State, with a total of 10 lakh MT paddy lifted till today, which comes out to be 266 lakh bags, having been lifted so far.

The Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Minister Mr. Lal Chand Kataruchak while sharing this information said that, despite initial disruptions due to reluctance of a few rice miller groups for allotment and milling, the lifting process has gained momentum in all districts of the State and more than 2 lakh MT paddy has been lifted in a single day today.

The Minister stated that out of total 5000 rice mills in Punjab, 3,120 have already applied for allotment, out of which 2522 rice mills have been allotted while allotment of another 100 mills, which is under process, would be completed by today evening. Also, nearly 1550 rice mills have already executed agreements with State agencies for storage and milling of paddy being procured, while nearly 150 are under process.

He emphasized that ensuring smooth procurement remains a top priority for the State Government and farmers need not worry about their produce. 

Out of the total paddy arrivals of 38 lakh MT in mandis till today, 34.5 lakh MT paddy has already been procured. The Minister also highlighted that paddy arrivals in mandis have reached around 4.5 lakh MT per day, with almost all of it being purchased by the end of the day. 

As of today, unsold paddy in the state stands at less than one day's arrival. He assured that all necessary arrangements, including Bardana (gunny bags), labour, and transportation, are adequate across the state.

Regarding MSP payments, he revealed that nearly Rs. 5,683 crores have already been directly transferred to farmers' accounts.

Reaffirming the government's commitment to purchasing every grain produced through the hard work of farmers, he assured that paddy lifting will soon reach 4 lakh MT per day.