To enable farmers to get remunerative prices for their produce, the Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd. (KFCSC) will establish 165 paddy and millets procurement centres this season throughout the State.
Nevertheless, the arrival of foodgrains is expected to reduce by at least 50 per cent following scanty rainfall, drought and depleting water level at reservoirs. The procurement centres were opened in Mandya district on Tuesday.
Such centres would avoid distress sale by small and marginal farmers and also help them get the minimum support price, said Rohini Sindhuri, managing director of KFCSC. Paddy would be procured at the rate of Rs. 1,510 a quintal (for common variety), ragi at Rs. 2,100 and jowar at Rs. 2,100 a quintal.
Speaking to The Hindu over phone, Ms. Sindhuri said: “The State government issued an order [on December 19] to open centres to purchase paddy, ragi and jowar. The corporation has asked the Deputy Commissioners of all districts to set up the centres.”
The KFCSC is the nodal agency to open the procurement centres. A total of 165 centres were opened during 2014-15. Hence, the corporation has decided to establish 165 centres during the current season. The corporation procured 2.19 lakh metric tonnes of paddy, 1.35 lakh tonnes of ragi and 8,000 metric tonnes of jowar in the last year, Ms. Sindhuri said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner inaugurated the procurement centre at Yeliyuru Kodi in the taluk. Such centres will be opened at all taluk centres in the district, said Kumuda Sharath, Deputy Director of Food and Civil Supplies. Appealing to farmers to not to sell their produce through middlemen, she said that farmers should bring Rights, Tenancy and Crops certification of crops and other documents. Farmers can contact the revenue officials, village accountants and agriculture department officer for any clarification or details.
