Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday reviewed the state’s ongoing paddy procurement drive and directed officials to accelerate the process to ensure that no farmer faces inconvenience. He instructed that paddy brought to procurement centres must be purchased without delay, and payments must be transferred directly into farmers’ accounts on time.
Officials informed the Chief Minister that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for this year has been fixed at Rs 2,369 per quintal for common paddy and Rs 2,389 per quintal for Grade-A paddy, an increase of Rs 69 from last year. Currently, 4,227 procurement centres are operational across the state, and the Chief Minister has ordered that this number be expanded to 5,000 to improve accessibility for farmers.
As of November 30, around 9,02,000 metric tonnes of paddy have been procured from 1,51,030 farmers, with more than Rs 19.84 billion already transferred directly to their bank accounts. Yogi Adityanath reiterated that any delay in payment would not be tolerated.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the supply of fortified rice for mid-day meal and Anganwadi programmes. He directed officials to ensure uninterrupted availability, increase the number of vendors supplying Fortified Rice Kernels (FRK), and resolve technical issues immediately. Officials reported that around 2,130 metric tonnes of FRK have passed quality tests so far.
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Calling for smoother operations at procurement centres, the Chief Minister instructed officials to increase manpower wherever necessary to prevent crowding and ensure that no farmer is turned away. He also asked for simplification of paddy lifting, mill-mapping, and related processes to maintain a steady procurement pace.
The availability of fertiliser and seeds was also reviewed. Yogi Adityanath stressed that no district should face shortages and directed departments to conduct regular monitoring of stocks and supply.