Kathmandu. The Food Management and Trade Company Limited, Madhes Province Office Janakpurdham has purchased 6,275 quintals of golden mansuli paddy from farmers of Dhanusha and Mahottari districts. The office started purchasing paddy from December 12.

Jaya Kishan Prasad Chaudhary, senior assistant at the office, said that 6,275 quintals of paddy has been purchased so far and most of the farmers in Dhanusha and Mahottari have registered their names to sell the paddy.

According to him, the company has been purchasing up to 50 quintals of paddy per farmer at the maximum of 50 quintals of paddy but it has been purchasing up to 55 quintals of paddy from some farmers as per the recommendation of the local level. The government has made arrangements to send the payment to the farmers’ bank accounts.

According to Nirmal Thapa, provincial chief of the office, paddy is being purchased from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm by placing two forks near the company’s godown. So far, 165 farmers in Dhanusha and Mahottari districts have sold their paddy at the recommendation of the local levels.

Most of the farmers selling paddy are from Laxminiya Rural Municipality, Nagarain Municipality, Chhireshwornath Municipality and Balawa Municipality of Mahottari. According to the company, five to 15 farmers are purchasing paddy every day.

The office has set a target of purchasing 13,000 quintals of paddy, said assistant manager Ganga Prasad Sah. The government has fixed the support price of Sona Mansuli paddy at Rs 3,06.33 per quintal this year. Sarala Prajapati, an officer at the Quality Section of the Office, said that the quality test is carried out before paddy procurement and only quality paddy is being purchased.