RELAXATIONS IN QUALITY NORMS
FOR PROCUREMENT OF PADDY IN BIHAR AND ORISSA
The Government has
relaxed the quality norms for procurement of paddy under Minimum
Support Price (MSP) operations for the farmers of Bihar and Orissa.
This has been done to mitigate the hardship of farmers of these
two States and on the request of the State Governments. The Government
procuring agencies in Bihar and Orissa have been allowed to procure
paddy containing damaged, discoloured, sprouted and weevilled
grains upto 5 per cent against 3 per cent provided under the Uniform
Specifications of paddy for the Kharif Marketing Season 2003-2004.
Besides, the maximum limit in respect of immature, shrunken and
shrivelled grains have beeen allowed upto 5 per cent against the
limit of 3 per cent.
This relaxation will
be applicable with immediate effect and will protect the farmers
from the distress sale of paddy in these two States.
On account of widespread
rains and floods in most of the paddy growing areas of Bihar and
Orissa this year, the standing paddy crop has been reported to
be damaged which has affected the quality of the paddy. Such paddy
was not found to be conforming to Fair Average Quality (FAO) norms
prescribed by the Government.
