Mizoram govt to begin procurement of four key crops from February under flagship programme

The Mizoram government will begin procurement and selling of locally produced four key crops- ginger, turmeric, dry broomsticks and chilli from February to assist farmers, an official.Mizoram Agriculture Marketing Board Co-Chairman KC Lalmalsawmzauva said procurement of ginger from farmers would be undertaken from February – May, dry broomstick from February – March and turmeric and chilli will be procured during 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 kilogram 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’s 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 a 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.