Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Tuesday announced that the procurement of paddy at a support price will begin in the state from November 1. The process of registering farmers is underway and it will continue till October 31, the chief minister said.
”I have asked officials to make necessary arrangements in all paddy procurement centres to ensure that farmers don’t face any problem during paddy procurement,” Baghel said. Considering the increase in the number of farmers in the state due to the government’s farmer-friendly policies, it is estimated that the number of registered cultivators will cross 25 lakh this year, he said.
At least 24.05 lakh farmers had registered to sell paddy last year, whereas in 2020-21, the number was 21.52 lakh. In the marketing year 2021-22, the number of farmers had increased by more than 2.5 lakh compared to 2020-21, Baghel said.
As per official data, as many as 16.96 lakh cultivators had registered in 2018-19, and the number increased to 24.05 lakh in 2021-22. In the marketing year 2022-23, the number of farmers is estimated to cross 25 lakh and the exact figure will be known only after the registration process ends on October 31, an official said.
Similarly, the registered area of paddy has also increased from 25.60 lakh hectare to 30.26 lakh hectare in the last three years. Further increase in registered acreage is expected this year, he said.
Chhattisgarh is the only state in the country, where along with the purchase of paddy on support price, input subsidy of Rs 9,000 to 10,000 per acre is being given to farmers of all major Kharif crops, he said.
