Food Corporation Procures Over NPR 40 Million Worth of Paddy from Madhesh Farmers

Dhanusha. The Food Management and Trading Company Limited, Madhesh Province Office in Janakpurdham, has reported purchasing paddy worth NPR 40,764,290 from farmers over the past two months.

According to the office, 11,235 quintals of Sona Mansuli paddy have been purchased so far from 240 farmers in Mahottari and Dhanusha districts. Nirmal Thapa, the Provincial Chief of the office, stated that the paddy was purchased at a rate of NPR 3,628.33 per quintal.

Office Chief Thapa mentioned that the paddy procurement began on Mangsir 28 and the stated volume has been purchased up to now. He added that a large number of farmers from Dhanusha and Mahottari registered with the office to sell their paddy this year. He noted that the number of farmers coming to sell paddy has increased because the purchase price offered by this office is higher than the market rate.

The market rate for paddy is currently around NPR 3,000 per quintal. Assistant Manager Gangaprasad Sah informed that although the company usually purchases a maximum of 50 quintals per farmer, some farmers have sold up to about 55 quintals based on recommendations from local levels.

The payment for the paddy is managed by the government by sending funds directly to the farmers' bank accounts. According to the office, paddy brought by farmers is being purchased from 10 AM to 5 PM using two weighing scales set up near the company's warehouse. So far, 240 farmers from Dhanusha and Mahottari districts have sold their paddy based on local level recommendations.

He stated that the majority of the farmers selling paddy are from Laxminiya Rural Municipality, Nagrain Municipality, and Shweshwarnath Municipality in Dhanusha, and Balwa Municipality in Mahottari. Senior Assistant Jaykishunprasad Chaudhary informed that the office has set a target to purchase 13,000 quintals of paddy this year.

The government has set the support price for Sona Mansuli paddy this year at NPR 3,628.33 per quintal. Sarala Prajapati, Officer at the office's quality branch, informed that a quality test is conducted before purchasing the paddy, and only quality paddy is being procured.