Cooperative societies in the State will start procuring paddy, it was decided on Thursday.
The societies will directly procure paddy in four districts. This arrangement will ensure that the farmers get the price for paddy — ₹27.48 per kg — on the same day and that they are protected from exploitation by mill owners, Minister for Cooperation Kadakampally Surendran said after a high-level meeting attended by Food and Civil Supplies Minister P. Thilothaman, Water Resources Minister K. Krishnankutty, and Cultural Affairs Minister A.K. Balan and senior officials.
Quality checks
The Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) will offer cooperatives the services of the Paddy Procurement Officers for carrying out quality inspections on the paddy. Cooperatives confining their activity to procurement alone will be paid ₹73 per quintal of paddy. They will be paid ₹214 per quintal if they convert it into rice and transfer it to the Food Corporation of India (FCI) at an out-turn ratio of 64.5%.
A lead cooperative will be appointed at the district level for coordinating paddy procurement by the societies, Mr. Surendran said. In Palakkad district, the cooperatives will be responsible for paddy procurement as well as the transfer of the rice to the FCI. They will enter into agreement with the mill owners.
In the other districts, the Supplyco will make the necessary arrangements. From the next season onwards, the cooperative societies will construct more godowns for the procured paddy.
