Agartala, July 10, 2023: In a significant move aimed at supporting farmers’ interests, the state departments of Food and Civil Supplies, along with Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, have joined hands to set a target of procuring 35,000 metric tonnes of paddy directly from farmers during the current ‘Rabi’ season.
The paddy will be purchased at a minimum support price of Rs 2040 per quintal, starting from July 11, 2023. Each farmer will be allowed to sell a maximum of 50 quintals of paddy, with 40 designated paddy buying centers across the state where farmers can sell their produce by contacting the nearest agriculture department office or sub-divisional magistrate’s office (Food department).
To ensure smooth implementation of this initiative, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury conducted an important video conference meeting with sub-divisional magistrates from across the state, as well as senior officials from the Food and Agriculture departments.
During the meeting, Minister Chowdhury emphasized the farmer-friendly approach of the state government, which aims to directly purchase paddy from farmers to benefit them while increasing the stock of food grains and controlling market prices. He issued clear instructions to district and sub-divisional officials to facilitate hassle-free paddy sales and ensure that farmers are not subjected to any harassment or forced to sell their produce below the minimum support price.
The video conference was attended by key officials including Special Secretary Raval Hemendra Kumar, Director of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare department Sharadindu Das, Director of Food and Civil Supplies department Nirmal Adhikari, Additional Director Animesh Debbarma, and other relevant officials.
The minister provided guidance and necessary instructions to ensure the smooth completion of the entire process, underscoring the state government’s commitment to supporting farmers and maintaining food grain stocks.