Vijayawada: Ensure MSP to farmers for Rabi paddy, officials told

Vijayawada (NTR district): NTR district Collector S Dilli Rao directed the officials concerned to procure around 80,000 metric tons of paddy through Rythu Bharosa Kendrams (RBK). He informed that farmers cultivated paddy in 16,777 hectares across the district and the expected paddy yield is 1.35 lakh metric tons.

He held a meeting with the officials of agricultural, civil supplies, marketing, cooperative, transport and legal metrology departments regarding paddy procurement at the camp office here on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said that the government fixed the MSP at Rs 2,040 for common grade and Rs 2,060 for A-grade grains per quintal. He asked the officials to provide MSP to all the farmers, who sell their produce through the RBKs. He informed that during Kharif season, around 1,38,655 metric tons of paddy was procured from 17,118 farmers and the government paid Rs 272.89 crore for that. An awareness programme must be conducted in villages regarding the paddy procurement, MSP, Moisture and others. Keeping in mind the past year's experiences, officials should make elaborate arrangements for the smooth conduct of Rabi Paddy procurement, Collector Dilli Rao added.

Joint Collector P Sampath Kumar, DRDA PD K Srinivas, Civil Supplies District Manager P Sivarama Murthy, DSO P Komali Padma, Agricultural Officer N Naga Manimma, Legal Metrology Officer B Kumari, DTC M Purendra, DCO Ch Sailaja, Marketing AD A Kishore and others attended the meeting.