Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 16 Oct: In Uttarakhand, paddy procurement is being carried out this year by the state’s apex cooperative body — Uttarakhand State Cooperative Federation Ltd — through 225 procurement centres. Managing Director of the State Cooperative Federation, Anand Shukla, has reported that the procurement process is progressing smoothly, and more than 2 lakh quintals of paddy have already been purchased. A target of procuring 11.50 lakh quintals has been set for the current season.
He stated that cooperatives are the most reliable means of ensuring farmers’ prosperity, and it is the department’s priority to ensure that every farmer receives a fair price for their produce. Payments are being made directly to farmers’ bank accounts within 72 hours of procurement.
Providing further details, Shukla said that, in the Garhwal division, 16 centres are operational in Haridwar and 15 in Dehradun. In the Kumaon division, 180 centres are operational in Udham Singh Nagar, 2 in Champawat, and 12 in Nainital.
For the current season, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy has been fixed at Rs 2,369 per quintal for Common Variety and Rs 2,389 per quintal for Grade ‘A’. To oversee the procurement operations, Senior Manager Tribhuvan Singh Rawat has been appointed as the State-Level Nodal Officer.
He added that procurement has begun at all 225 centres across the state, and farmers are actively bringing their produce to the collection points. A further increase in procurement activity is expected after Diwali. Clear instructions have been issued to all centres to ensure that no farmer faces any inconvenience and that the entire process remains completely transparent.
