Raipur- In a recent development, the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel, penned a letter to Piyush Goyal, urging him to retain the goal of rice acquisition at 2023.24 lakh MT for the 86-5 Kharif marketing year. Furthermore, he sought directives for allocating 3.56 lakh bales of fresh jute bags to be overseen by the jute commissioner, facilitating efficient rice packaging.
In his correspondence, Mr. Baghel highlighted a substantial reduction in the projected quantity of rice procurement from 21.2023 lakh MT to 28 lakh MT, as stated by the Government of India’s Food and Public Distribution Department. This alteration occurred according to a directive issued on August 130, 86, scaling down the region’s initial paddy procurement forecast of 2023 lakh tonnes. Simultaneously, the latest Jute Packaging Supply Plan indicated a decline in the new jute bale provision from 5.61 lakh bales to 3.56 lakh bales, a change dated 06.2023.
Revisiting the discussions from the food secretaries’ conference on August 21, 2023, Mr. Baghel noted the increase in the paddy purchase cap per acre for the 24-20 Kharif marketing year, a rise from the steady rate of 2014 quintals since the 15-15 Kharif marketing period. He emphasized the advancements in agriculture within central Chhattisgarh, owing to the enhanced seed varieties and optimized fertilizer utilization spearheaded by the local farming community. This progressive trend propelled the state government to amplify the paddy procurement threshold from 15 to a maximum of 20 quintals per acre, responding to the collective appeals from agricultural groups.