Why in news
- The government set the paddy procurement target at 708.64 lakh tons for the Kharif Marketing Season 2026-27, lower than actuals of previous years due to reduced sown area.
What is Paddy Procurement?
- The process where public agencies like the Food Corporation of India purchase foodgrains directly from farmers at the Minimum Support Price.
- Aims to maintain central food security buffers and support the Public Distribution System.
Key Details of the New Target
- Target fixed at 708.64 lakh tons for Kharif Marketing Season 2026-27.
- Reduction attributed to contraction in paddy-sown area, standing at 414.10 lakh hectares compared to 428.46 lakh hectares the previous year.
Why it matters
- Reflects agricultural shifts, monsoon impacts, and crop diversification trends across states.
- Directly impacts food subsidy management and open-ended procurement commitments.
Key terms
Minimum Support Price
The rate at which the government purchases crops from farmers, insuring them against sharp price falls.
Kharif Marketing Season
The period during which kharif crops like paddy are procured and marketed by state agencies.
Prelims facts
- Paddy procurement targets are aligned with kharif sowing acreage and MSP operations.
Source: Hindu Business Line
Same topic · past papers
UPSC has asked this before
These previous-year questions sit on the same topic. Open one to practise the earlier ask.
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2023 · Q27 · General Studies · 2 marks
Consider the following statements: 1. The Government of India provides Minimum Support Price for niger (Guizotia abyssinicia) seeds. 2. Niger is cultivated as a Kharif crop. 3. Some tribal people in India use niger seed oil for cooking. How many of the above statements are correct? -
2020 · Q61 · General Studies · 2 marks
In India, which of the following can be considered as public investment in agriculture? 1. Fixing Minimum Support Price for agricultural produce of all crops. 2. Computerization of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies 3. Social Capital development -
2020 · Q63 · General Studies · 2 marks
Which of the following factors/policies were affecting the price of rice in India in the recent past? 1. Minimum Support Price 2. Government's trading 3. Government's stockpiling 4. Consumer subsidies Select the correct answer using the code given below -
2020 · Q69 · General Studies · 2 marks
Consider the following statements: 1. In the case of all cereals, pulses and oil-seeds, the procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) is unlimited in any State/UT of India. 2. In the case of cereals and pulses, the MSP is fixed in any State/UT at a level to which the market price will never rise. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? -
2019 · Q79 · General Studies · 2 marks
The economic cost of food grains to the Food Corporation of India is Minimum Support Price and