Karwar: In response to the ongoing monsoon season, Deputy Commissioner (DC) K. Lakshmi Priya has instructed food department officials to establish registration centers for procuring paddy from farmers in the Uttara Kannada district under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme.

Presiding over a District Task Force Committee meeting at the District Commissioner’s office on Tuesday, Lakshmi Priya announced that the government has set the MSP for paddy at ₹2,300 per quintal for standard grade and ₹2,320 for Grade-A paddy. To facilitate procurement, registration centers will open in locations including Haliyal, Sirsi, Mundgod, Joida, Kumta, Ankola, and Bhatkal starting from November 15.

The DC emphasized that agencies appointed for procurement must adhere to government standards, ensuring paddy meets FAQ (Fair Average Quality) standards. Graders from the agriculture department will be deployed at each center to verify the quality of paddy. Each center will also be staffed with procurement officers, and storage facilities will be arranged to manage the collected paddy. Additionally, basic amenities, such as drinking water, must be provided to farmers at the centers.

Lakshmi Priya directed that payments to farmers be processed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) within 15 days of supply. She also mentioned necessary measures to register rice mills to process the collected paddy. The district administration will disseminate information about MSP rates, registration centers, and procurement centers to ensure farmers are well-informed.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Director of the Food and Civil Supplies Department Manjunath Revankar, Joint Director of the Agriculture Department Shiv Prasad, officials from various departments, and district rice mill owners.