Chandigarh, Oct 4: Government agencies and private millers procured more than 58,974 tonne of paddy in Punjab till last evening against 3,75,348 tonne procurement of previous year.

An official spokesman here today said out of the total procurement of 58,974 tonne of paddy in all the procurement centers of the state, government agencies have procured 35,448 tonne of paddy till date whereas private traders haveprocured 23,526 tonne of paddy.

PUNGRAIN had procured 32,933 tonne whereas MARKFED procured 420 tonne. PUNSUP procured 855 tonne, PSWC procured 320 tonne while PAIC was able to procure 895 tonnes paddy till yesterday, he added.

The Centre agency Food Corporation of India (FCI) had been able to procure 15 tonne.

He said Amritsar district with 11,034 tonne of procurement was leading in procurement operations whereas Tarn Taran district with 11,469 tonne of procurement was at second slot and Faridkot district a 6,130 tonne of procurement ranked at third position.

The state government has set up 1,745 procurement centres and activated its total machinery to ensure smooth procurement of paddy, he added.