Paddy procurement begins at Baddi’s Malpur grain market

The paddy procurement centre at the Malpur grain market in Baddi started functioning today, marking the start of paddy procurement for the season. The crop will be purchased until December 31. This centre has been operational for the past three to four years and is the second such centre established in the Baddi-Nalagarh industrial belt.

In previous years, farmers in the region sold their produce through middlemen in Punjab and Haryana, often failing to secure fair prices. The establishment of these procurement centres has brought relief to local farmers, allowing them to sell their produce directly to the government at a guaranteed price.

According to the Himachal Pradesh Agriculture Produce Procurement Portal, 530 farmers registered for procurement at the Nalagarh marketing yard on the first day, while 505 farmers registered at the Malpur centre. This season, the Himachal Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation aims to procure 6,300 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy—3,500 MT from Malpur and 2,800 MT from Nalagarh. Last year, 5,200 MT of paddy was procured from these two centres.

Narinder Dhiman, District Controller of the Food Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department, shared that the government has set a minimum support price of Rs 2,320 per quintal for paddy. The crop will be purchased through a token system, with farmers required to register on the department’s online portal to receive a token number and a date for selling their produce.

Chief Parliamentary Secretary (Industry, Revenue, and Town Planning) Ram Kumar Choudhary emphasised the importance of increasing the support price for paddy. He assured farmers that the issue would be raised with the state government to help them secure better prices for their crops.

Choudhary also highlighted the convenience that the Malpur mandi provides for farmers in the Doon assembly segment and surrounding areas, enabling them to sell their crops close to home. Plans are in place to establish a storage facility for crop collection near the market, with funds being allocated by the state government. Additionally, efforts are being made to make the Malpur mandi a permanent establishment due to the significant quantity of paddy produced in the area.

The government is focusing on improving facilities for farmers and horticulturists by expanding and strengthening the marketing network across Himachal Pradesh. Choudhary also inspected the grain market and interacted with farmers, encouraging officials to assist them in selling their paddy crops efficiently.

Crop will be purchased till December 31

• The crop will be purchased until Dec 31. This centre has been operational for the past three to four years and is the second such centre established in the Baddi-Nalagarh industrial belt
• In previous years, farmers in the region sold their produce through middlemen in Punjab and Haryana, often failing to secure fair prices
• The establishment of these procurement centres has brought relief to local farmers, allowing them to sell their produce directly to the government at a guaranteed price