A review meeting, led by Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo in Bhubaneswar, assessed the Rabi paddy procurement in Odisha for the 2024-25 season. The procurement reached 19 lakh metric tonnes (LMT), surpassing the initial target of 14 LMT. The final day of Rabi procurement was Monday. This signifies a record high compared to the previous year’s 12 LMT, demonstrating the government’s commitment to aiding farmers. Odisha continues to offer a price of Rs 3,100 per quintal for Rabi paddy, combining both the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and input assistance via the ‘Samruddh Krushak Yojana.’ To ensure transparency and prevent paddy from entering the state from neighboring regions, an e-KYC system will be rolled out for farmers. A new policy on paddy procurement is also being developed. This year, Odisha produced 93 LMT of paddy, leading to approximately 63 LMT of rice, which is significantly more than the state’s domestic need of 27 LMT. Plans are in place to use the surplus, potentially by producing 2G ethanol from paddy straw and broken rice within the state.
