Chandigarh : Headed towards a good paddy crop this year, foodgrain producing states Punjab and Haryana have procured over 147 lakh tonnes of paddy this season, officials said Tuesday.
Punjab has procured nearly 112.81 lakh tonnes of paddy this year compared to 114 lakh tonnes procured in the same period last year, food and supplies department officials said here. The procurement season began Oct 1.
Government agencies have procured over 96.5 percent of the paddy coming to grain markets across the state, while the rest has been procured by private millers.
Ludhiana, Sangrur and Patiala districts were leading in paddy procurement so far. The Punjab government has set up 1,745 procurement centres across the state.
In neighbouring Haryana, nearly 34.21 lakh tonnes of paddy has been procured till Monday evening.
This is much higher than the 28.17 lakh tonnes paddy procured in the same period last year.
Kurukshetra, Karnal and Fatehabad districts were leading in paddy procurement so far, a spokesman of the food and supplies department said.
IANS
