<span style="color: #222222;">Government has said that over 304 lakh tonnes of paddy has been procured in the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season, showcasing an increase of 17.82 per cent over last year. Agriculture Ministry said, Paddy procurement 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, Odisha and Maharashtra.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> <br />''Out of the total purchase, Punjab alone has contributed over 202 lakh tonnes, which is 66.57 per cent of total procurement. The Ministry said, more than 27 lakh 18 thousand farmers have already been benefitted from the ongoing procurement Operations with Minimum Support Price, MSP value of over 57 thousand 395 crore rupees.</span><br />''  <br />