Bhubaneswar, August 9: Farmers in Odisha do not need an AgriStack ID to register for paddy procurement, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra said on Sunday.

Patra said the digital identification system has not been made mandatory for farmers seeking to register for paddy procurement.

According to the minister, 5,093 farmers have so far registered for paddy procurement, while 3,108 of them have also obtained an AgriStack ID.

“Till today, a total of 5,093 farmers have registered for paddy procurement, of whom 3,108 have also registered for an AgriStack ID. We are not making the AgriStack ID compulsory. If a farmer does not have an AgriStack ID, they can still register for paddy procurement and there will be no issue,” Patra told reporters.

The minister further clarified that sharecroppers are also eligible to register for paddy procurement.

“Sharecroppers have also registered,” he said.