Bhubaneswar, 24 November (H.S.): The Odisha government will begin paddy procurement from tomorrow, introducing several measures to ensure a smooth and farmer-friendly process at mandis across the state.

Co-operation Minister Pradip Bal Samant said the state has set a higher procurement target this year compared to the previous season. “Special arrangements have been made for farmers at the mandis to ensure a seamless procurement experience. Facilities such as food, drinking water, beverages, and toilets have been provided. Mill owners have been instructed to ensure timely movement of vehicles for lifting paddy,” he said.

The Minister added that officials have been directed to maintain strict supervision over the entire procurement process. The government is also closely monitoring any irregularities related to katni-chatni in paddy transactions.

“The government will take stringent action against anyone involved in malpractice. Our priority is to ensure that farmers receive a fair price for their produce,” Samant said.

This year, more than 2 lakh additional farmers have registered to sell paddy, taking the total registrations for the 2024–25 kharif season to 17.50 lakh. Consequently, the state has increased its procurement target to 93 lakh metric tonnes for both kharif and rabi seasons.

The Food and Procurement Policy for 2025–26, approved by the Cabinet in October, outlines that the kharif paddy procurement period will run from November 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda