North News
Chandigarh, November 6
Punjab has marked a major achievement in its grain procurement efforts as the purchase of paddy exceeded 100 lakh metric tons (LMT) this season. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting farmers’ interests and ensuring an efficient procurement process. “The Punjab government is committed to facilitating smooth and hassle-free paddy procurement,” Mann said. He noted that comprehensive measures have been put in place, including the establishment of 2,651 mandis across the state to streamline the operations and support farmers effectively.
For the 2024-25 Kharif Marketing Season (KMS), Punjab aims to procure a total of 185 LMT of paddy, sourced from around 32 lakh hectares of farmland. The state, a significant contributor to India’s food reserves, has received a Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of ₹41,378 crore from the Reserve Bank of India to support the process, the official statement said.
The Chief Minister, who has been actively overseeing procurement and logistics, has ensured that all paddy brought to the mandis is collected efficiently. As of November 5, data shows that 110.89 LMT of paddy has arrived at the mandis, with 105.09 LMT already procured. Payments totaling ₹22,047 crore have been disbursed to farmers by the state government. Among the districts, Patiala leads in procurement with 9.42 LMT, followed by Ferozepur at 8.14 LMT, Tarn Taran at 7.26 LMT, Jalandhar at 7.16 LMT, and Sangrur at 7.10 LMT.
