TAD NewsDesk, New Delhi: In the ongoing Kharif Marketing season, the government has bought around 651.07 lakh tonnes of paddy worth nearly Rs 1.23 lakh crore so far. The purchase has been made at the MSP. The farmers had been protesting against the three Center Farm Laws.
The Kharif marketing season starts in October. Paddy is mainly grown in Kharif (summer sown) season.
The Food Ministry said in a statement,
“In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at MSP from farmers as per existing MSP Schemes, as was done in previous seasons.”
The Centre has procured 651.07 lakh tonnes of paddy till February 19, up 15.91 per cent from 561.67 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous season.
The ministry said,
“About 93.93 lakh farmers have already been benefited from the ongoing KMS procurement operations with MSP value of Rs 1,22,922.58 crore.”
Punjab alone has contributed 202.82 LMT which is 31.15 per cent of total procurement of 651.07 LMT.
The farmers have not been able to come to a consensus with the government even after multiple meetings for the farm laws. The farmers are insisting on complete repealing of the laws while the government is willing to change conditions but not complete step back. Thousand of farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh are sitting in the borders of Delhi waiting for thier demands to be fulfilled.
Source: Financial Express
