The state food, civil supplies and consumers affairs department has extended paddy procurement for kharif crops for the 2021-22 season till April 15 after failing to meet its procurement target.

State had announced to procure 80 lakh tones of paddy this year, about 20 lakh tones more than the previous year. However, as per the data available from the department, till April 3 (Sunday), state managed to procure only close to 70 lakh tones.

Confirming the extension of procurement window by another two weeks, state food and civil supplies director Dilip Tirkey today said, “The department has decided to continue procurement of paddy at minimum support centres (MSP) till April 15 now. Earlier it was to end on March 31. Government wants to ensure that more and more farmers get the benefits of MSP.” He however expressed satisfaction on the progress so far but said that the department has extended the window to encourage left over farmers, whose produce is still unsold, to avail the facility of MSP.

Paddy procurement formally kicked off in Jharkhand this time on December 15 last year but the third wave of covid-19 triggered due to Omicron slowed down the procurement process. “This apart, poor quality of paddy due to moisture, logistic hassles among others were some of the reasons due to which it took time for the procurement process to pick pace,” said another official.

For the first time this year, the department has fixed a ceiling of purchase of maximum 200 quintals of paddy per farmer. Farmers are being provided Rs 2050 per quintal for normal paddy and Rs 2070 for A-grade as MSP.

Speaking on earlier occasion, food and civil supplies minister Rameshwar Oraon had said that fixing ceiling on farmers was aimed to extend benefits of MSP to maximum farmers and to break cartel of middlemen.