The government on Friday said it has started procurement of kharif crops with coarse cereals in Haryana, days ahead of the normal schedule.
“The coarse cereals procurement in Haryana on Friday started as crops like jowar and bajra have arrived in the markets,”
Food Secretary Alka Sirohi said, on the sidelines of a conference on warehousing organised by industry chamber FICCI.
She also said the procurement of rice may begin soon, ahead of the normal schedule.
The procurement of kharif crops generally starts from October 1. However, this year, the early varieties have started arriving in the mandis prompting some states to demand for early procurement.
The Centre has already announced the minimum support price (MSP) of kharif crops. Paddy MSP has been fixed at Rs 850 per quintal for common variety and Rs 880 a quintal for ‘Grade A’. The MSPs for maize, jowar and bajra have been fixed at Rs 840 per quintal each.
Meanwhile, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said there is no problem of storage in Haryana and Punjab even if kharif procurement starts early.
Speaking on the sidelines of a seminar on warehousing, he said the wheat stocks in FCI godowns in Punjab and Haryana would be shifted to other states.