Aizawl, Jan 23 (PTI) The Mizoram government will begin procurement of locally produced four key crops – ginger, turmeric, dry broomsticks and chilli – from February to assist farmers, an official said.
Mizoram Agriculture Marketing Board Co-Chairman K C Lalmalsawmzauva on Thursday said procurement of ginger from farmers would be undertaken from February to May, dry broomstick from February to March, and turmeric and chilli will be procured from February to April.
The government has already begun procurement of paddy or unhusked rice in November, and it will continue till March, he said.
Lalmalsawmzauva, who is also an adviser to the CM for the handholding scheme, said the government will extend the maximum support prices for each crop purchased under the state’s flagship programme ‘Bana Kaih’ or handholding scheme.
The maximum support price for ginger is fixed at Rs 50 per kg, Rs 80 per kg for broomstick, Rs 350 per kg for chilli and the support prices for turmeric and paddy are fixed at Rs 20 and Rs 30 per kilogramme respectively, he said.
He said that procurement will be carried out in all secondary collection centres (SCCs) across the state.
“Buffer stocking will not be arranged this time, and all the key crops will be procured at secondary collection centres set up in different parts of the state. Only locally produced crops of farmers, who registered under farmers societies in their respective areas, will be procured, and those that come from outside will not be entertained,” Lalmalsawmzauva told a news conference here.
He said that there are 64 SCCs for ginger and 13 for dry broomsticks across the state, where supervisors and assistant supervisors will be deputed from the government side to monitor the procurement and they will be assisted by leaders of farmers societies.
The maximum support prices will be transferred to the farmers’ bank account through Direct Beneficiary Transfer (DBT), he said.
Lalmalsawmzauva urged the farmers to register under farmer societies in their respective areas as they will not be allowed to sell their crops at an SCC outside their area.
He said that farmers will be allowed to sell their crops to other private agencies at reasonable prices higher than the support prices or minimum rates fixed by the government.
State Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare special secretary Ramdinliani, who accompanied Lalmalsawmzauva at the press conference, claimed that there is growing demand for Mizoram-grown ginger due to its organic quality.
Though many buyers have expressed their interest, the government is yet to ink agreements with them due to the fluctuating ginger price, she said.
Buying the five key crops was one of the poll promises of the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government headed by Chief Minister Lalduhoma.
Officials said that the government has spent or released about Rs 137.72 crore as support price for the purchase of ginger last year.
The government also purchased 48,602.29 quintals of dried broomsticks worth nearly Rs 2 crore and more than 1,400 quintals of paddy worth about Rs 50 lakh from the farmers during the same year, they said. PTI CORR RG
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