Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has increased the procurement price of paddy to ₹31 per kg from ₹30. The government has also reached agreements with 37 rice mills for paddy procurement, Agriculture Minister T Siddique said on Friday.

The increase is aimed at ensuring that paddy farmers receive fair compensation amid rising cultivation costs, Siddique said in a Facebook post.

"The aim is to ensure that paddy farmers receive the compensation they deserve in the context of rising cultivation costs. This is part of the government's intervention to further encourage paddy cultivation," he said.

The minister said the government would continue measures to recognise farmers' efforts, protect paddy cultivation as the foundation of food security and agricultural self-sufficiency, and improve farmers' incomes.

The UDF had promised in its manifesto ahead of the Assembly elections earlier this year to increase the paddy procurement price if voted to power.