The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has decided to procure 68,000 metric tonnes of paddy from the farmers of Assam in the 2018-19 marketing year.
FCI will carry out an awareness drive among the farmers in the state to increase paddy production. The awareness drive will carried out by the officials of FCI in partnership with the local social organizations in every district of Assam.
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Reports show that only 50 percent of paddy was procured from the farmers of Assam by FCI in the 2017-18 marketing year.
For the 2017-18 marketing year, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy was Rs 1,550 per quintal.
However, the MSP for paddy was increased by the Centre to Rs 1,750 per quintal in the 2018-19 marketing year.
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The FCI along with other state government agencies undertakes effective price support operations for safeguarding the interests of the poor farmers.
Coarse grains of rice or wheat are procured by State government agencies for the central pool as per the direction by the Central Government from time to time.
The procurement under price support is taken up so that the farmers can get suitable benefits from farming and help in production of sufficient high-quality crops.
The government policy of procurement of food grains ensures that the farmer, in the event of excessive production leading to over supply in the market, prices of the farmers produce will not fall below the support price.
The objectives of the procurement policy also includes supplying food at subsidized prices to the undernourished; controlling inflationary pressures; stabilizing prices for consumers’ and producers; reducing fluctuations in food availability and achieving self sufficiency in food grains production.
Before the harvest during each Rabi or Kharif crop season, the Government of India announces the minimum support prices (MSP) for procurement on the basis of recommendations of the Commission of Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP) which along with other factors take into consideration the cost of various agricultural inputs and the reasonable margin for the farmers for their produce, reports The Assam Tribune.
Kumar Gaurav, member-FCI, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has recently written a letter to the Commissioner of the Food and Civil Supply Department, Assam to take suitable steps for maximum procurement of food grains.