(MENAFN- IANS) Lucknow, Oct 31 (IANS) Under the kharif marketing year 2025-26, paddy procurement in eastern Uttar Pradesh will begin on November 1 and continue until February 28, 2026.

During this period, procurement will also take place in Unnao, Raebareli, and Lucknow districts.

Paddy procurement has been underway since October 1 in Western Uttar Pradesh, as well as in the Hardoi, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Sitapur districts of the Lucknow Division.

The double-engine government has increased the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy this year. The MSP for paddy (Common) has been fixed at Rs 2,369 per quintal, and for paddy (Grade A) at Rs 2,389 per quintal. More than 2.17 lakh farmers have registered themselves to sell their produce within two months.

The regions in Eastern Uttar Pradesh which will see paddy procurement, commencing from November 1, include Chitrakoot, Kanpur, Ayodhya, Gorakhpur, Devipatan, Basti, Azamgarh, Varanasi, Mirzapur, and Prayagraj. Additionally, in the Lucknow division, procurement will commence in Lucknow, Raebareli, and Unnao on November 1 and will continue until February 28, 2026.

As of October 31, 2,17,625 farmers have registered. In Western Uttar Pradesh, more than 17,000 farmers have already sold over 1.06 lakh metric tonnes of paddy within a month.

Also, the procurement picked up pace after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's instructions and 3,920 purchase centres were opened. Farmers must register themselves on the Food and Civil Supplies Department's website gov or through the UP KISAN MITRA mobile app.

According to the Food and Civil Supplies Department, farmers can contact the toll-free helpline at 1800-1800-150 or reach out to their district food marketing officer, tehsil regional marketing officer, or block marketing inspector for assistance or information.

The CM Yogi Adityanath government has directed the officials to ensure that farmers receive payment within 48 hours.

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