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Haryana's efforts to procure 60 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of non-basmati paddy at minimum support prices (MSP) face a setback due to a notable decrease in paddy arrivals in the state's markets. Officials overseeing the paddy procurement operations note that daily arrivals have dwindled from two to three lakh tonnes a week ago to just around one lakh tonnes. This trend is expected to persist in the coming days.

As of October 24, government agencies have procured approximately 44.62 lakh tonnes of paddy at MSP rates ranging from ₹2,183 to ₹2,203 per quintal. Unfortunately, this falls short by around 9 lakh tonnes compared to last year's procurement of about 53.66 lakh tonnes in the first 30 days. Despite starting procurement a week earlier than the usual October 1 commencement, paddy arrivals are below expectations.

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Decline in Paddy arrival challenges 60 lakh MT goal

In terms of districts, Kurukshetra leads with 8.93 lakh tonnes, followed by Karnal with 8.56 lakh tonnes, Kaithal with 8.06 lakh tonnes, Yamunanagar with 5.37 lakh tonnes, Fatehabad with 4.70 lakh tonnes, and Ambala with 4.68 lakh tonnes. The Haryana Food Supply and Consumer Affairs department has procured the highest amount at 24.14 lakh tonnes, followed by Haryana State Warehousing Cooperation at 6.75 lakh tonnes, and HAFED at 13.73 lakh tonnes. In most districts, procurement figures are lower than last year.

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Farmers, however, have received their payments on time, with approximately ₹9,216 crore already disbursed into their bank accounts for the paddy procured. Nonetheless, it's anticipated that total paddy procurement this year may fall short of the 60 lakh MT target, despite hopes that procurement will continue for the next 20 days.

While the state saw a reduction in the overall paddy acreage compared to the previous year, favorable yields were expected. The state government increased the procurement limit to support farmers, allowing them to sell up to 36.5 quintals of non-basmati paddy on MSP due to concerns over reduced production. However, the nominal arrival of paddy from Uttar Pradesh remains a concern, and achieving the targeted 60 lakh tonnes seems increasingly challenging.