Odisha sees 21pc growth in farmers' registration for kharif paddy procurement

Amid slugfest between the ruling BJD and the opposition BJP over the passage of the farm bills in Parliament, Odisha has witnessed a 21 per cent growth in farmers' registration for procurement of paddy under the minimum support price scheme for the 2020-21 kharif season.

Over 14.97 lakh farmers have registered themselves through an online system for the upcoming kharif paddy procurement programme, an official said.

Last year, around 12.35 lakh farmers had registered for selling their produce, he said.

This year, the online registration system was introduced by the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A total of 2,854 designated primary agricultural credit societies (PACs) and large area multi-purpose cooperative societies (LAMPCS) participated in the programme from all the 30 districts of Odisha, the official added.