Khanna (Khanna) -- Paddy procurement by central and state government agencies began in various grain markets across Punjab Monday - ahead of the scheduled date Oct 1 every year.

Procurement was advanced this year as farmers started bringing their stocks to grain markets earlier this year, said a Food Corporation of India (FCI) official.

Nearly 23,500 quintals of paddy had arrived till Sunday in the grain market here - considered the largest in Asia. Last year, the arrivals recorded till the same date was only 16,500 quintals.

The government agencies are offering a minimum support price of Rs.650 per quintal to farmers for better quality paddy.

Private agencies procuring paddy are offering around Rs.653-655 per quintal, said a farmer here.

"We would have ideally wanted the procurement price to be Rs.750 per quintal as the cost of diesel and other inputs has gone up considerably," said Rajinder Singh, a farmer.