Odisha Sets 14 Lakh Metric Tonne Target for Rabi Paddy Procurement, Begins May 1

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has announced comprehensive arrangements for smooth and transparent paddy procurement during the ongoing Rabi season, with a target to procure 14 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from over 3.37 lakh registered farmers across 20 districts.

The roadmap was finalised during a State-level Paddy Procurement Committee meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja at Lok Seva Bhawan. District Collectors and Civil Supply Officers joined the meeting via video conferencing, while Principal Secretary, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Sanjay Kumar Singh, outlined the key decisions.

In his address, Singh highlighted that during the previous Kharif season, around 73.45 lakh metric tonnes of paddy were procured from 16.6 lakh farmers, with ₹16,853 crore disbursed as Minimum Support Price (MSP) and ₹5,862 crore given as input assistance.

This year’s Rabi procurement will be conducted from May 1 to June 30, covering 20 districts—including three new additions: Kandhamal, Sundargarh, and Bhadrak. The procurement process will involve 965 Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) and 200 Self Help Groups (SHGs).

Chief Secretary Ahuja directed officials to ensure that no eligible farmer is left out of the procurement process. He also appreciated the use of satellite imagery by ORSAC to validate paddy cultivation areas, and instructed for the immediate deployment of nodal officers and supervisors at procurement mandis.

Farmers will receive ₹3,100 per quintal of paddy—comprising ₹2,300 as MSP and ₹800 as input assistance—credited directly into their bank accounts within 48 hours of procurement. Farmers can also report grievances through toll-free number 1967.

To ensure transparency, all mandis will be equipped with CCTV cameras, and every vehicle transporting paddy from mandis to mills will be fitted with GPS tracking. In light of potential weather disruptions, Collectors have been asked to take precautionary measures against unseasonal rain and heatwaves and to ensure same-day lifting of paddy from mandis.

Special squads will also be deployed in border districts to curb the influx of paddy from outside the state during procurement.

The meeting also saw participation from Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation Managing Director K. Sudarshan Chakravarthy, Mission Shakti Commissioner-cum-Secretary Shalini Pandit, Transport Commissioner Amitabh Thakur, Director of Agriculture and Food Production Shubham Saxena, and senior officials from the Food Corporation of India and other departments.