In a landmark move to strengthen farmer welfare and ensure transparency in agricultural transactions, the Chhattisgarh cabinet, under the leadership of Chief Minister Mr. Vishnu Deo Sai, approved the purchase of paddy at Rs. 3,100 per quintal for the upcoming Kharif marketing year 2025-26.
This decision, taken during a high-level cabinet meeting held at Mahanadi Bhawan, will benefit more than 25 lakh farmers across the state. Paddy procurement will begin on November 15, 2025, and continue until January 31, 2026, through 2,739 procurement centers.
Transparent Procurement with e-KYC, Biometric & Digital Token Systems
To eliminate irregularities and prevent diversion of paddy from neighbouring states, the government is implementing biometric-based verification, e-KYC registration, and digital crop surveys. All farmer registrations will be done on the AgriStake portal of the Ministry of Agriculture and are open until October 31, 2025.
Additionally, the Token Tuhar Hath mobile app will allow farmers to generate their own tokens online to avoid long queues and overcrowding at procurement centers.
“Digital crop surveys have already mapped 23 lakh hectares, and data from Girdawari is being publicly verified through Gram Sabhas across 20,000 villages,” said an official statement.
Fast Payments and Monitoring Systems to Support Farmers
To ensure timely financial relief to farmers, payments for procured paddy will be made within 6 to 7 days, improving liquidity and boosting rural purchasing power. In a first, an Integrated Command and Control Center will be established at the Markfed headquarters, supported by district-level control rooms to oversee logistics, procurement, and inventory.
The Food Department of the Government of India has allocated a target of 73 lakh metric tonnes of rice for the central pool from Chhattisgarh.
Additional Measures for Efficiency and Fairness
- Each procurement center will have an appointed administrative officer in charge, ensuring accountability.
- Special checking teams will be deployed at the district level to curb illegal cross-border inflows.
- Committees ensuring zero drought-related lapses in procurement will receive Rs. 5 per quintal as incentive.
- New and old jute bags will be arranged in advance to support smooth handling and transport.
- Instructions have been issued for proper verification and lifting of paddy from storage to FCI warehouses.
This comprehensive framework aligns with the Chhattisgarh government’s vision of empowering farmers, modernizing agricultural procurement, and ensuring fair market access.
