Assam paddy procurement opens: 8.49 lakh MT target at Rs 2,441 MSP

Assam has opened its paddy procurement season for 2026-27 with a target of 8.49 lakh metric tonnes, to be bought from farmers at a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,441 a quintal, the Chief Minister's Office said on Sunday.

Procurement for the first crop of the Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2026-27 runs from November 1, 2026, to May 31, 2027, through 181 paddy procurement centres, PTI reported citing the CMO.

What farmers need to know

• Price: Rs 2,441 per quintal for common paddy and Rs 2,461 for Grade A paddy, up Rs 72 from last season's Rs 2,369 and Rs 2,389, according to The Sentinel.
• Registration: Farmers have to register with the state procurement agencies before they can sell, the CMO said.
• Quality: Paddy should be clean and dry, with moisture of no more than 17%.
• Where: 181 centres across 35 districts.

Who is buying

According to a Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Department notification reported by The Sentinel, only two agencies will take part this year. The Assam Food and Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (AFCSCL) will run 169 centres with a target of 8,30,800 MT, while the Food Corporation of India (FCI) will run 12 centres with a target of 18,200 MT. Last season four agencies were involved: AFCSCL, FCI, NAFED and the Assam State Agricultural Marketing Board.

A bigger target than recent years

The 8.49 lakh MT goal is higher than the 8 lakh MT set for 2025-26, the 8,01,082 MT for 2024-25 and 6,53,700 MT for 2023-24, The Sentinel reported.

District targets

Hojai has the largest target at 89,000 MT, followed by Darrang (87,000 MT), Nagaon (67,000 MT), Udalguri (58,000 MT), Morigaon (53,000 MT) and Karbi Anglong (47,000 MT). Dhubri has been set 46,000 MT, Sonitpur 42,000 MT, Goalpara 41,000 MT, Barpeta 34,500 MT and Nalbari 27,000 MT.

Kamrup Metropolitan and Biswanath have 24,000 MT each, Kamrup 23,000 MT, Bajali 22,000 MT, Baksa 21,000 MT, Chirang and Golaghat 18,000 MT each, Kokrajhar 17,000 MT and Bongaigaon 16,000 MT. The smallest targets include Dima Hasao (100 MT), South Salmara-Mankachar (600 MT), Charaideo (1,000 MT) and Majuli (1,300 MT), while Tamulpur, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji have 10,000 MT each.

Milling of the procured paddy and delivery of custom milled rice to FCI is allowed until September 30, 2027, according to the notification in the Assam Gazette.

Why it matters

Selling at MSP through government centres gives farmers a guaranteed floor price at a time when private traders often pay less soon after harvest. The CMO said the exercise was meant to ensure fair value for farmers' work and strengthen agriculture in the state.