The Centre will purchase the entire 15 lakh metric tonnes of paddy produced during the Rabi season in 2021-22 and this includes 13.73 lakh MTs of parboiled rice and remaining raw rice, if the same is handed over to the Food Corporation of India by the State government, said Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and Development of Northeast region G. Kishan Reddy on Wednesday.
The Minister said that he had written to Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal on the issue and the latter had agreed to extend the last date once again, to hand over the produce to the FCI by May 31.
Mr. Kishan Reddy claimed that the Centre had paid the minimum support price and procured the maximum amount of paddy and had also advised to enhance the milling capacity but this was not being done as also in arresting the sale of recycled rice.
The government, being unable to procure Rabi paddy of last year to the FCI when this year’s produce is also ready is an indication of failure on its part, he charged, and advised it to have a proper time bound plan for taking up various agriculture activities to help farmers, said an official release.
