Paddy’s purchasing has so far increased by 16% this Kharif marketing year to 638,57 lakh tons, valued at Rs 1,20,562 crore, in the midst of ongoing farmers’ protests at the borders of the national capital. The marketing year of Kharif starts in October.
‘In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, the Government continues to provide farmers with Kharif 2020-21 crops in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) as per existing MSP schemes, as was done in previous seasons,’ the official statement stated.
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The Government procured 638.57 lakh tons until 12 February, up 16.25% from 549.30 lakh tons in the corresponding period of the previous marketing year.
‘Approximately 91,69 lakh farmers have already benefited from ongoing KMS procurement operations with an MSP value of Rs 1,20,562.19 crore,’ the statement said. Out of the total purchase of 638.57 lakh tons, Punjab made a significant contribution of 202.82 lakh tons.
Procurement operations of seed cotton (Kapas) under the MSP are going smoothly across several states.’Until 12 February, a quantity of 91,35,211 cotton bales valued at Rs 26,643.55 crore was obtained from 18,90,736 farmers,’ it mentioned.
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Thousands of farmers, particularly from Punjab, Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at Delhi’s borders for more than two months to seek repeal of the three new farm laws introduced by the Center last year 2020, saying that they are pro-corporate and can destabilize the mandi structure system.
Till date, 11 rounds of discussions between the Center and 41 agitating farmers’ unions have been held to put an end to the stalemate. The Center has offered to postpone the laws for 1-1.5 years, but the unions have refused.
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