Dispur steps in, to gear up paddy procurement

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The fall in paddy production in the state has a silver lining. It has made the State Government set a paddy procurement target of 7 lakh MT by various agencies from the state farmers in the coming season.

The Food and Civil Supplies Department has issued a notification fixing the quantity of paddy that each agency should procure from the state farmers. The rate at which the agencies should procure paddy from the state farmers is Rs 1,940 per quintal.

The moot question, however, is: will the government bring this move to full fruition?

Last year, the State Government set a paddy procurement target of 5.44 MT from the state farmers, but various agencies procured only 1.57 MT of paddy.

Paddy production is declining in Assam for various reasons. The paddy production in 2018-19 was around 90 lakh MT that fell to 82 lakh MT in 2019-20. This year, the Agriculture Department expects paddy production of 83 lakh MT.

Various factors are responsible for the fall in paddy production in the state. Some of the reasons are –

(i) The farmers do not get the remunerative price as the cost of cultivation is very high.

(ii) Farmers in other states depend on paddy procurement by government agencies at MSP (Minimum Support Price). However, paddy procurement is dismal in Assam.

(iii) FCI (Food Corporation of India) is the major paddy procurer in the country. However, FCI is reluctant to procure paddy from the state farmers on the pretext of high moisture content in Assam rice. It makes brokers procure paddy at throwaway prices from farmers and mint money. It makes a section of farmers reluctant to opt for paddy cultivation.

(iv) The use of agricultural lands for non-agricultural purposes also leads to a fall in paddy production in Assam.

(v) The free of cost rice given under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other schemes has also dissuaded a section of small farmers not to opt for paddy cultivation.

From December 1 to June 30, 2022, various government agencies will procure paddy in Assam. FCI will set up 29 paddy procurement centres, 21 centres by the Food and Civil Supplies Department, 17 centres by NACMF (National Agriculture Cooperative Marketing Federation), three centres by CCF and ten centres by Assam State Agriculture Marketing Board, the notification said.

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