C'garh set to create record in paddy procurement

CITED as the rice bowl of the country, Chhattisgarh is on its way to set a new record of paddy procurement at support price in the current kharif marketing season.

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The state has procured paddy weighing 127 lakh metric tons (LMT), the highest so far.

It is a huge achievement given that the state was carved out from Madhya Pradesh in November 2000. Back then, despite plentiful paddy production, farmers couldn't get suitable returns in the absence of an effective system.

In the year 2001, only 4.63 LMT was procured out of the state's total recorded production of around 23 LMT. As the bumper procurement continues, the new BJP government hopes the estimated target of 130 LMT will be realised easily. The procurement is carried out through cooperative societies and will continue till January 31.