Latest news with #KeralaStateCivilSuppliesCorporation
The Hindu
21-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Supplyco to make market intervention to rein in prices during Onam season: Minister G.R. Anil
The Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) will make market intervention to ensure adequate supply of rice and coconut oil at reasonable price during this Onam. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Food and Civil Supplies Minister G.R. Anil at the Supplyco headquarters in Kochi on Monday (July 21, 2025). All essential items, including subsidised items, were available at the Supplyco outlets, Mr. Anil said, adding that efficient interventions were being made to ensure the availability of all essential items at low prices during the Onam season and to bring down the price of rice. Talks with FCI Direct discussions had been held with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) for procuring rice. Discussions would also be held with the Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu, if need be, the Minister said. Vehicles would be deployed to supply rice and other essential items in the interiors. Food and Civil Supplies Secretary M.G. Rajamanikyam, Supplyco Managing Director Aswathy Sreenivas, and Supplyco managers attended the meeting.
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Kerala government sanctions ₹100 crore for paddy procurement
Kerala's Finance department has authorised the release of ₹100 crore towards the subsidy for the procurement of paddy from farmers, Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal has said. The money has been sanctioned to Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco), which is in charge of the procurement. The ₹100 crore is meant for the subsidy for the paddy procurement in March and April this year (2025). The government had sanctioned ₹185 crore earlier this year for paddy procurement up to February. The State Budget for the 2025-26 fiscal has earmarked ₹606 crore for the purpose. Mr. Balagopal said the State government is ensuring prompt payment of subsidy even though the Centre has run up arrears on the minimum support price. According to him, the Centre's arrears on support price and transportation charges has mounted to nearly ₹1100 crore. Kerala follows a model where the farmers are promptly paid through the paddy receipt sheet (PRS) scheme, without waiting for the Centre to release the support price.
The Hindu
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Govt. nod for ₹3-crore special package for paddy procurement in Kuttanad
The State government has sanctioned a ₹3 crore special package for the Agriculture Department to procure paddy from 'Paadasekharams' in the Kuttanad region that were hit by intrusion of saline water, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad said here on Thursday. Mill owners had declined to lift the harvested paddy citing poor quality, forcing the government to come up with a solution. Following this, the government had roped in the Oil Palm India for procuring the paddy. The Agriculture Department will assess the quality of the paddy and the Director of Agriculture will determine the price. The Agriculture Director has also been tasked with assessing the extent of the crop damage. Nearly 70 'Paadasekharams' in the Alappuzha municipality, Punnapra North, Thakazhi, Karuvatta, Ambalappuzha south, Nedumudi, Kainakari and Pulinkunnu had reported saline water intrusion, affecting the quality of the paddy and the yield, Mr. Prasad said. As the harvested paddy fell short of the Fair Average Quality (FAQ) in accordance with the Minimum Support Price/Public Distribution System (MSP/PDS), the paddy procurement had run into trouble. It was also decided that the quantum of paddy that meets the FAQ requirement will be procured by the Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) as per the existing procurement mechanism.
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Supplyco procures 96,734 tonnes of paddy from Alappuzha as ‘puncha' season nears completion
The Kerala State Civil Supplies Corporation (Supplyco) has procured 96,734.08 tonnes of paddy from farmers in Alappuzha as the 'puncha' crop season is nearing completion. Farmers cultivated paddy on around 600 polders in the district, spread across 28,000 hectares, the majority of them in Kuttanad, during the season. Officials said that 92.48% of the paddy-sown area had been harvested. 'Harvest has been completed in 25,966.78 hectares. Procurement is progressing. The entire process is expected to be completed by the end of May,' said a Supplyco official. The season witnesses the most extensive acreage of paddy cultivation in the region. At present, 53 mills are engaged in paddy procurement. Even as the season is drawing to a close, issues continue to mar procurement at several places in Kuttanad and upper Kuttanad. Farmers said agents of mills were demanding huge discounts, in some cases up to 15 kg per quintal, to procure harvested paddy, citing discolouration, shrivelled grains, high chaff and moisture content. Last week, the State government decided to rope in Oil Palm India to procure harvested paddy lying on polders after rice mills refused to take them, citing poor grain quality. Paddy procurement is carried out based on online registrations made by farmers. Supplyco has purchased paddy worth ₹272.79 crore from farmers in the district so far. As in previous years, farmers receive payment from banks as post-harvest credit, which is later reimbursed to the banks by the government. Though Supplyco has begun disbursing paddy receipt sheets (PRS) to farmers, a majority of them are yet to receive the payment. Officials said that only the lists of farmers who sold paddy to Supplyco until March 31 had been given to State Bank of India for disbursing the procurement price. They said that talks were ongoing with Canara Bank about rejoining the PRS loan scheme. Farmers are also upset over the State government's decision not to increase the procurement price. Supplyco is purchasing paddy at ₹28.20 per kg, which includes the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹23 provided by the Union government and ₹5.20 incentive bonus from the State government. The procurement price has remained unchanged since 2022-23. Though the Centre raised the MSP by ₹1.17 to ₹23 in June last year, the State offset this by reducing the bonus by the same amount to keep the price at ₹28.20. Besides the procurement price, farmers are entitled to receive 12 paise per kg as handling charges.
