Nearly 75 lakh tonnes of foodgrains have been procured in Andhra Pradesh by the State Government departments and millers so far. The Government has also paid Rs 1,200 crore to the farmers.

The State Government share is about 25-30 per cent of the procurement. Interestingly, the Indira Kranthi Patham (IKP) through the Civil Supplies Department has so far procured a record 19 lakh tonnes (mt) of foodgrains from the farmers.

Informing this to the Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Government officials said in a release that this sort of high procurement was done by the Government to ensure that farmers got the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Arrears

The Chief Minister directed the officials that arrears towards the payment for procurement from the farmers should be released within three or four days at a meeting held on Tuesday morning with the CMO officials.

He also asked the top officials, District Collectors and officials of the Civil Supplies Department that foodgrains stored temporarily at Government School buildings here and there should be immediately shifted.

Purchase centres

The Government agencies have opened 1,399 purchase centres viz. 1,231 by the AP State Civil Supplies Corporation and the IKP and 168 centres by the Food Corporation of India to purchase paddy from the farmers at MSP.

Total quantity of paddy purchased so far during the rabi season by the Government agencies is 19,12,289 mts at minimum support price of Rs 1,030 a quintal for Grade A and Rs 1,000 a quintal for Common.

This is against 3,74,843 mts purchased on the corresponding day last year.

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