Bengal raises paddy MSP by ₹117 to ₹2,300/quintal

By Krishnendu Badopadhyay

Bengal govt has decided to raise minimum support price for paddy, a move that will benefit farmers when market prices for agricultural produce have rocketed due to soaring inflation.

From Rs 2,183 per quintal in 2023, state will now procure paddy from farmers at Rs 2,300 per quintal, marking an increase of Rs 117 per quintal. The higher support price would benefit farmers across districts, as efforts are being made to ensure smooth procurement from all regions.

Farmers will now be required to register their landholdings through the ‘Bangla Shasya Bima’ portal. However, farmers without land records will not be able to sell paddy directly at procurement centres.

While the MSP increase will provide financial relief, there have been concerns about challenges in various districts where diseases have affected crop yields, delaying procurement. To tackle these issues, district administrations have been instructed to expedite the paddy procurement process. Efforts are underway to ensure that the increased support price is effectively implemented at the local level.

In response to past delays, measures have also been introduced to eliminate middlemen selling paddy at procurement centres without proper registration. Now, only registered farmers with valid documents will be allowed to sell their produce.

Officials have also been tasked with monitoring the process to prevent exploitation of farmers and ensure transparency at every step. The administration hoped that these changes would lead to a more effective and fair paddy procurement system across the state.

This article has been republished from The Times of India.