Vijayawada, Sep 25 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed the officials to take steps to procure 62 lakh Metric Tonnes of paddy against the total product of 93.61 lakh Metric Tonnes in the Kharif season. The Chief Minister asked the officials concerned to ensure that agriculture produce is procured through Rythu Bharosa Kendra (RBKs) and to safeguard farmer’s interests by paying Minimum Support Price (MSP).
During a review meeting held here on Friday, the Chief Minister asserted that RBKs would be serving as paddy procurement centres in near future. He instructed the officials to display the MSP of each crop at RBKs and educate farmers on the crops that need to be avoided and ways to maximise the yield for more profits.
The State government procured crops like Maize, Corn, Jowar, Onion, Tomato, Banana, Tobacco during the previous Rabi season by spending Rs.3200 crore. The Chief Minister instructed the officials to purchase Rs.3300 crore worth agriculture produce in the Kharif season through the market intervention fund and help the farmers.
The Chief Minister asked the Joint Collectors to take responsibility in educating farmers on the government initiatives. The farmers should be told in advance about procurement at RBKs and local MLAs should also be involved.
The Chief Minister directed the Marketing Department (Markfed) to purchase 30 percent of the crops in the villages and provide marketing facilities for the remaining 70 per cent. He directed the officials to prepare crop plans and to focus on e-marketing platforms and to integrate the purchase centres and agents data in the outer market to e-marketing platforms.
He told the officials to promote sortex variety of rice and also keep the broken rice for value addition. He directed the officials to increase the CCI purchase centres to ensure proper marketing for the crops and to safeguard the farmers from suffering losses.
The officials informed that 10 types of crops are being procured in kharif and also established 3,000 centres for purchasing paddy. With the help of CM-APP, the entire process of crop procurement and marketing is being monitored.
Ministers Kurasala Kannababu, Kodali Venkateswara Rao, Special Secretary for Agriculture Poonam Malakondaiah, Commissioner for Marketing Pradhyumna, Commissioner of Civil Supplies Kona Sasidhar and other officials were present at the review meeting.
