<span style="color: #222222;">Government has procured a record number of over 647 lakh tonnes of paddy in the current Kharif Marketing Season. The Agriculture Ministry said, this is an increase of 15.33 per cent against the last year corresponding purchase of around 561 lakh tonnes. Out of the total purchase, Punjab alone has contributed over 202 lakh tonnes which is 31.31 per cent of total procurement.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">The Ministry said, the procurement of paddy is continuing smoothly in the procuring States and Union Territories of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Karnataka, West Bengal and Tripura. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">It said, more than 93 Lakhs farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing procurement Operations with MSP value of over Rs one lakh 22 thousand crore.</span><br />''  <br />