India's Paddy Procurement Schemes Face Shortfalls and Farmer Protests

In Assam, the state’s Kharif 2025‑26 paddy procurement programme fell well short of its target of 8  lakh metric tonnes, purchasing only about 689  thousand tonnes. Of the 73 440 farmers who registered, only 51 780 sold their grain to government agencies, leaving roughly 376  thousand tonnes unsold and many farmers forced to sell at lower market prices.

In Tripura, farmers staged a large protest at the Matabari Paddy Procurement Centre, alleging theft of stored sacks, extra charges by labourers for weighing and loading, and harassment by an agriculture supervisor. The state’s minimum support price of Rs 2,369 per quintal was cited, but grievances over irregularities threatened confidence in the procurement system.