The agriculture department has procured 3.36 lakh quintal paddy from more than 6,500 farmers in Jammu and Kashmir last year, an official said on Wednesday.

At a meeting of northern states on the price policy for kharif crops 2023-24 here, Director of Agriculture Jammu K K Sharma said, “The department has established 23 procurement mandis to maintain a reasonable price for agriculture products.” “During the year, 3.36 lakh quintal paddy was procured covering 6,549 farmers and crediting Rs 68.88 crore in their accounts within 48 hours through direct benefit transfer,” he said.

He said the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir stands at the third position in terms of farmers’ income as the department worked tirelessly even during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the interests of farmers and holistic development of the agriculture sector.