Food Minister Sadhan Chandra Majumder asks all deputy commissioners to ensure that paddy is procured directly from farmers to meet the target of paddy procurement set by the government.

Although paddy farmers are poised to get a bigger harvest this year, low prices have sapped their joy in the 10 south-western districts of the country. The amount of paddy the government plans to buy directly from farmers would not help them much as well, they said while talking to The Daily Star yesterday.