By IANS,
Chandigarh: With a combined target of 188 lakh tonnes, procurement of paddy will begin in Punjab and Haryana — the food grain states of the country — Saturday, an official said here Friday.
Punjab alone is targeting procurement of over 140 lakh tonnes of paddy while Haryana is targeting procurement of 48 lakh tonnes.
Both states contribute over 70 percent of food grains (wheat and paddy) to the national kitty.
Haryana Food and Supplies Minister Mahender Partap Singh said nearly 48 lakh tonnes of paddy is likely to arrive in grain markets across Haryana this season — October-December.
Out of this, about 20 lakh tonnes of paddy will be of Basmati and superior varieties and the remaining about 28 lakh tonnes of levy varieties, he said.
In neighbouring Punjab, paddy procurement will continue till Dec 31 at 1,745 procurement centres.