food ministry. Paddy worth Rs 2,689.77 crore has been procured from 99,675 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Haryana at MSP, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
The harvesting of kharif paddy, which has been sown on a slightly higher area of 411.96 lakh hectare this year, started last week.
Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state agencies have undertaken procurement at MSP to create a buffer stock as well as protect the interest of farmers.