Director Agriculture reviews preparedness for Paddy Procurement Operations, KMS 2024

Jammu, September 26, 2024: In Preparedness of the upcoming Paddy Procurement season KMS 2024, a comprehensive meeting with FCI was convened on Thursday under the leadership of Director Agriculture, Jammu, Arvinder Singh Reen, at Krishi Bhawan, Talab Tillo, Jammu.
The meeting addressed key modalities aimed at facilitating the smooth and timely procurement of paddy, with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) set to purchase directly from farmers through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system. Director Agriculture emphasized the importance of these procurement centers in preventing distress sales and ensuring that farmers receive the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce.
Key discussion points from the meeting included the specifications for KMS 2024 will remain unchanged. Any necessary updates will be managed by FCI on their portal. Participants discussed the provision of uniform cleaning charges, timely supply of gunny bags, and logistical support at procurement mandies, coordinated between FCI and the Agriculture Department. The proposal to establish additional procurement centers is under consideration, pending approval from FCI based on demand and feasibility. FCI officers reported that tenders for 24 mandies have been issued and are currently under evaluation.
Currently, there are 24 Paddy Procurement Centers operational across Jammu, Kathua, and Samba, aimed at supporting farmers during this critical period. The Government of India has set the MSP at ₹2320 per quintal for Grade A and ₹2300 per quintal for Common Grade Paddy. This year, the government has also implemented an Aadhar based biometric system to authenticate farmers and eliminate intermediaries.
The meeting was attended by Joint Director Agriculture (Extension) Jammu Satish Sharma, Deputy Director (Central) Dr. Ashwani Sharma, Liaison Officer/SMS-RL Marketing Darmesh Vaid, Assistant General Manager FCI Santosh Kumar, and Divisional Manager FCI Parveen Goutam among others.