State extends Rabi paddy procurement deadline to July 3

Koraput: Odisha govt has extended the Rabi paddy procurement period under Kharif Marketing Season 2025-26 till July 3, providing additional time for farmers to sell their produce at govt mandis.

The procurement was scheduled to conclude on June 30.The extension was announced through a letter issued by Food, Supplies and Consumer Welfare Department on Thursday. In the communication, additional secretary Sudam Charan Mandal directed the collectors of 20 districts, including Koraput, to continue procurement operations till the revised deadline. As per the govt order, district authorities have been instructed to expedite procurement and ensure that the entire quantity of paddy brought to mandis by farmers holding valid tokens is procured by July 3.The govt has also asked officials to closely monitor procurement operations and take all necessary measures to ensure smooth, orderly and hassle-free procurement so that no genuine farmer is deprived of selling paddy within the extended period. "The district administration will ensure that all eligible farmers holding valid procurement tokens are able to sell their paddy within the extended deadline. Necessary instructions have been issued to procurement agencies to facilitate smooth operations at all mandis," said Koraput chief civil supplies officer Manas Ranjan Mahapatra.

The extension is expected to benefit several farmers in Koraput who were unable to dispose of their produce within the earlier procurement schedule due to logistical and operational constraints. Official sources said that of the 18,270 farmers registered for Rabi paddy procurement in the district, 16,972 have so far sold their produce at mandis. Over 13 lakh quintals of paddy have been procured so far, while the extended timeline is expected to help the remaining eligible farmers complete the sale of their produce.