26.50 Lakh Farmers Registered 29.27 Lakh Hectares of Cultivation Area

Raipur, 19 November 2025 //

Paddy procurement at the Minimum Support Price in Chhattisgarh has gained strong momentum. On the fifth day of procurement, November 19, a total of 7,11,335 quintals of paddy was purchased from farmers. This volume is nearly equal to the cumulative procurement made over the previous four days. Between November 15 and 19, the state has procured 14,54,451 quintals of paddy under the support price mechanism.

As per the directions of Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, the payment of support price to farmers has commenced alongside procurement. MARKFED has released Rs. 214.18 crore to Apex Bank for this purpose. Notably, the Chhattisgarh Government has already provided MARKFED with a bank guarantee of Rs. 26,200 crore to ensure timely payment for paddy purchased from farmers. Adequate arrangements have been made at all centres to ensure that farmers face “no inconvenience” during the selling process. Officers have been deployed at every centre to oversee procurement arrangements, and senior state and district-level officials conduct regular visits to monitor operations.

Strict monitoring is also being enforced to prevent “any irregularities” in paddy procurement. To curb the inflow of paddy from outside the state, officers have been posted at checkpoints, and surprise inspections are being conducted at multiple locations. Under the intensive drive launched to prevent malpractice, 373 cases of illegal storage and transportation have been registered so far, and 25,567 quintals of paddy have been seized.

According to information received from the Food Department, a total of 7,11,353 quintals of paddy was procured on November 19 from all district procurement centres. Paddy arrivals have increased significantly in the plains districts of Balod, Bemetara, Durg, Kabirdham, Rajnandgaon, Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai, Balodabazar, Bhatapara, Dhamtari, Gariaband, Mahasamund, and Raipur. District-wise figures show: Balod – 1,44,468 quintals; Bemetara – 1,86,972 quintals; Durg – 1,33,514 quintals; Kabirdham – 58,958 quintals; Rajnandgaon – 1,60,247 quintals; Khairagarh–Chhuikhadan–Gandai – 90,416 quintals; Balodabazar–Bhatapara – 1,18,565 quintals; Dhamtari – 1,55,275 quintals; Gariaband – 64,090 quintals; Mahasamund – 60,883 quintals; Raipur – 1,52,850 quintals procured on November 19.

Farmers have expressed that the online system under the “Token Tunhar App” has made it significantly easier to obtain tokens and sell their paddy without delays. It is noteworthy that for the Kharif Marketing Season 2025–26, a total of 26.50 lakh farmers have registered to sell paddy at the support price. The registered cultivation area stands at 29.27 lakh hectares.