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Hitting an all-time high, 433.32 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat has been procured from most of the wheat procuring states after conclusion of current marketing season RMS 2021-22, against the 389.92 LMT procured in RMS 2020-21, an official statement said on Monday.

Wheat has been procured against the last year's corresponding purchase of 387.67 LMT and about 49.15 lakh farmers have already benefitted from the ongoing procurement operations with MSP value of Rs 85,581.39 crore, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution statement said.

Paddy procurement in the ongoing season Kharif 2020-21 is continuing smoothly in the procuring states with purchase of 869.80 LMTs of paddy (Kharif crop of 707.69 LMT and Rabi crop of 162.11 LMT) up to July 25, against the last year corresponding purchase of 759.24 LMT.

As many as 128.38 lakh farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement operations with MSP value of Rs 1,64,217.43 crore. Paddy procurement has also reached at all time high level, surpassing previous high of 773.45 LMT in KMS 2019-20, the statement said.

Further, based on the proposal from the states, approval was accorded for procurement of 108.42 LMT of pulse and oilseeds of KMS 2020-21 & RMS 2021 and summer season 2021 for Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh under the Price Support Scheme (PSS).

The sanction for procurement of 1.74 LMT of copra for Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala was also given.

For other states/UTs, approval will also be accorded on receipt of proposals for procurement of pulses, oilseeds and copra under PSS so that procurement of FAQ grade of these crops can be made at notified MSP for the year 2020-21 directly from the registered farmers, if the market rate goes below MSP during the notified harvesting period in the respective states/UTs, by the Central nodal agencies through state nominated procuring agencies.

Up to July 25, the government through its Nodal Agencies, has procured 10,49,575.80 MT of moong, urad, toor, gram, masoor, groundnut pods, sunflower seeds, mustard seeds, and soybean having MSP value of Rs 5,662.82 crore benefitting 6,38,366 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Haryana, Odisha, and Rajasthan under Kharif 2020-21 and Rabi 2021 and Summer 2021.

Similarly, 5,089 MT of copra, having MSP value of Rs 52.40 crore has been procured, benefitting 3,961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu during the crops season 2020-21. For the season 2021-22, sanction for procurement of 51,000 MT of copra from Tamil Nadu has been given, against which procurement will be started from the date as decided by the state government, the release added.