Patna,(BiharTimes): Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Sunday said Food Corporation of India (FCI) had been asked to procure maize at the minimum support price in Bihar.

At present, FCI is procuring maize in Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. 

He said that against the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,310 per quintal, maize farmers in Bihar are getting only Rs 900 per quintal. To protect the interest of farmers, the FCI has begun maize procurement via FCI in the state.

According to the minister about 16 procurement centres of FCI have been opened for undertaking maize procurement in Bhagalpur, Chapra (Saran), Khagaria, Purnea, Madhepura, Motihari (East Champaran) , Bettiah (West Champaran) and Vaishali.

The Union minister further said that the Bihar government could have initiated maize procurement on its own after knowing their farmers are being deprived of the basic MSP as the current policy permits state governments to initiate MSP operations for coarse cereals. Some states are doing this. But the Bihar government had sought the intervention of Centre at the fag end of maize procurement season.