Paddy Procurement 2026: Farmers in Chhattisgarh who sell their paddy at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) may face increased difficulties this year. The government has reduced the paddy procurement period for the 2026-27 Kharif marketing season by 15 days. Paddy will now be procured at the MSP only between November 15 and January 15, giving farmers just 60 days to sell their produce. Last year, the procurement period ran from November 15 to January 31.
The shortened procurement window is likely to particularly affect farmers in the Janjgir-Champa district, where many cultivate late-maturing varieties of paddy. Although procurement begins on November 15, the arrival of paddy at local markets (mandis) and procurement centers typically picks up pace only from December onwards, with the highest volume arriving during December and January. Consequently, the reduced timeframe may pose a challenge for farmers to sell their entire harvest within the stipulated period.
Potential for overcrowding at procurement centers
The shortened procurement window is expected to lead to overcrowding at procurement centers. If issues regarding procurement limits also arise, the difficulties faced by farmers could intensify. There is concern among farmers that it may be challenging to complete the procurement of everyone’s produce within such a limited timeframe.
Last year, even with the procurement period extending until January 31, many farmers were unable to sell their produce. Following requests from the farmers, the government had to extend the procurement period by a few more days. Despite this, the procurement window for this year has already been reduced by 15 days.
On a positive note, farmers who are already registered will not be required to re-register this year. Orders regarding the paddy procurement process have been communicated to the District Cooperative Central Bank and other relevant departments. Officials have been instructed to ensure widespread publicity regarding the procurement timeline so that all farmers are well-informed.
Registration of 128,719 Farmers in the District
In Janjgir-Champa district, 128,719 farmers have registered to sell their paddy at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Among them, 4,193 are new registrants who will be selling their produce at the MSP for the first time. Last year, approximately 126,000 farmers had registered in the district.
Administrative preparations have been intensified to begin paddy procurement from November 15. A list of nodal and assistant nodal officers for the procurement centers is currently being prepared. Additionally, the process of appointing procurement center in-charges is underway.
Last year, incidents of paddy misappropriation were reported at some procurement centers, resulting in a loss of several crore rupees to the government. In light of this, plans are in place to replace the in-charges at several procurement centers this year.
Changes to the Token System
A new token system has been introduced for paddy procurement, based on the land area owned by the farmers. The allocation of tokens will be as follows:
Farmers with less than 2 acres of land: Will receive one token, meaning the entire stock of paddy must be sold in a single transaction.
Farmers with 2 to 10 acres of land: Will receive two tokens, allowing them to sell their paddy in two separate transactions.
Farmers with more than 10 acres of land: Will receive three tokens, allowing them to sell their produce in three separate transactions.
