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The biggest and relief news of this time is coming for the farmers and businessmen associated with the agriculture industry of Bihar. Administrative preparations have been completed for the government procurement of paddy under the upcoming Kharif marketing season in the state, which has brought smiles back on the faces of farmers as well as rice millers. This latest decision of the government will not only make the process of selling the crop easier but will also pave the way for timely milling and payment. Let us know whether anything special has changed in the policy this time and who is going to get how much benefit.
Paddy procurement will start in a phased manner from November 1
According to the new schedule issued by the state government and the cooperative department, paddy procurement in Bihar will start on the scheduled dates. Paddy procurement will officially begin from November 1 through PACS and trade boards in the districts of North Bihar, while in the districts of South Bihar the process will begin from November 15. This entire procurement process will be conducted in a suvidhaajanak manner till next year i.e. 31st March. The main objective of the government is that the farmers living in remote villages of the state can get full value of their hard work at the right time and they do not have to fall into the trap of middlemen.
Good news and easy arrangements for rice millers
In this process of paddy procurement, special guidelines and facilities have also been given for rice millers. In the previous seasons, the millers had to face many practical problems regarding timely lifting and storage of paddy, keeping this in mind, this time the Cooperative Department has laid emphasis on better coordination of the millers with the PACS centres. The responsibility of availability of gunny bags (jute sacks) in sufficient quantity and timely milling of rice has been fixed so that there is no jam situation in the warehouses. The Rice Millers Association has also heaved a sigh of relief with this good news because with the receipt of paddy on time, the custom milling work will be able to run smoothly and rice will be supplied to the Food Corporation of India on time.
Increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP) and new rate chart
To provide economic support to the farmers, the Central and State Governments have increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) this time. Farmers will be paid at the rate of Rs 2,441 per quintal this time for normal paddy, which is about Rs 72 per quintal more than last year. At the same time, the support price of high quality Grade-A paddy has been fixed at Rs 2,461 per quintal. This increase compared to last year will prove to be directly helpful in increasing the income of farmers. Agricultural experts believe that increased prices will strengthen the rural economy and will also improve cash flow in the markets.
The amount will reach directly into the bank account within just 48 hours
The biggest complaint of farmers has always been the delay in payment, but this time the government has made this process completely transparent and hi-tech. According to the information given by the Cooperative Minister, the entire amount will be transferred to the verified bank account of the farmer through DBT (Direct Benefit Transfer) within just 48 hours of selling the paddy at the PACS centre. With this, farmers will not have to face shortage of money for fertilizer, seeds and sowing of the next crop. This fast speed of payment is a great example of Digital India and the transparency policy of the state government.
Agri Stack ID and online registration mandatory
If you also want to take advantage of this scheme and sell your paddy at a government centre, then it is very important to complete some important formalities on time. This year, to make the system more secure, the government has made it mandatory for farmers to register on the Agriculture Department’s portal esahkari.bihar.gov.in. Along with this, it has also been made mandatory for the farmers to have Agri Stack ID so that fraud can be stopped and the benefits of MSP reach only the genuine farmers. Those farmers who have not yet been able to get their ID made, should complete this process immediately with the help of their nearest PACS President or Common Service Center.
Strong arrangements for storage and security
Keeping in view the weather conditions during paddy procurement and the possibility of the grains kept in the open getting wet, the administration has already made strong arrangements this time. All packs and trade division warehouses are being repaired so that the paddy can be kept safe immediately after procurement. Apart from this, supplies have been sent district wise in advance to ensure that there is no shortage of bags at any centre. Clear instructions have been given to administrative officials that if there is any negligence at any centre, strict action will be taken immediately, so that both farmers and rice millers can get a smooth environment.