Himachal Pradesh: State exceeds paddy procurement target

By Subhash Rajta

For the first time, paddy procurement has exceeded the targeted procurement in the state. Against the target of 22,000 metric tonnes (MT), Civil Supplies Corporation has procured 22,897 MT paddy through 10 procurement centres in four districts — Kangra, Una, Sirmaur and Solan.

A total of Rs 50.4 crore has been paid to 3,746 farmers, who had registered themselves on the procurement portal. Incidentally, the procured paddy is just a fraction of the total demand for paddy in the state. For PDS alone, the state needs over 15,000 MT rice every month.

The total paddy production in the state is, however, six to seven times of the quantity procured through the procurement portal. The paddy production from 2017-18 to 2020-21 has been between 1.15 lakh MT to 1.40 lakh MT.

Agriculture Department officials said most of the paddy is used for self-consumption by the farmers. “The land holdings of our farmers are very small. The marketable surplus comes from the famers who have larger land holdings,” said Raghbir Singh, Additional Director, Department of Agriculture.

A portion of the produce is sold in the mandis in Punjab and Haryana, especially in the border areas of the state. “Traders from Punjab come to us and take away the produce at a rate slightly lower than MSP. The farmers sell the produce as they get payment immediately and are spared of the trouble of transporting the produce to the procurement centres and completing other formalities,” said a Nurpur-based farmer.

Meanwhile, the land under paddy cultivation is decreasing over the last few years. From roughly 76,000 hectares in 2013-14, the land under paddy cultivation had reduced to 62,000 hectares in 2021-22.

“It’s happening because the famers are shifting to vegetables and horticulture. They are finding it economically more rewarding than paddy,” said Raghbir Singh.

This article has been republished from the Tribune.