<span style="color: #222222;">The Government today said that Kharif marketing season 2020-21  has started early this year and it began from  26th of September.  <br />'' <br />'' Briefing media, Secretary Food and Public Distribution,  Sudhanshu Pandey said procurement  of paddy so far is 23 per cent  more than procurement in the corresponding period last year.  <br />'' <br />'' He said,  this  year the total procurement of paddy is estimated to be 738 lakh metric tonnes against the total procurement of 627 lakh metric tonnes during last year.<br />'' <br />'' Mr Pandey said,  39 thousand 130 procurement centres have been opened  this year to facilitate farmers.<br />'' <br />'' He said, 1.40 lakh crore rupees are expected to be transferred to farmers, which is an increase of nearly 21 per cent during this  Kharif  marketing season as compared to last year.<br />'' <br />'' Agriculture Secretary, Sanjay Agarwal informed that a record 1095 lakh hectare area were brought under Kharif crops coverage this year which is 10 lakh hectare more than the last year.<br />'' <br />'' He said, sowing of pulses is higher by nearly 7 lakh hectare oilseeds by 18 lakh hectare and rice by 4 lakh hectare than the normal area coverage under Kharf crops.  <br />'' <br />'' He said, the government is increasing the Minimum Support Price of  crops including wheat and paddy  every year as per the recommendations of the CACP (Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices).<br />'' <br />'' Chairman Food Corporation of India, FCI  D V Prasad  informed that FCI and State agencies are fully prepared for  paddy procurement operations.<br />'' <br />'' Mr Prasad, this year's paddy procurement target is  497 lakh metric tonnes which is 18 per cent growth over last year's procurement.<br />'' <br />'' He  said, over one crore 56 lakh farmers are expected to be benefitted with this operation.<br />'' <br />'' Textiles Secretary Ravi Capoor said a record procurement of 105 lakh bales of cotton valuing 28 thousand 500 crore rupees was made during 2019-20.<br />'' <br />'' Around 11 lakh bales of cotton valuing around 3000 crore rupees was  made during 2018-19.<br />'' <br />'' He also informed that during COVID period, procurement of cotton bales worth nealry 5600 crore rupees was made which is  double than the total procurement made during last year.</span><br />''