Chandigarh, Nov 18 (IANS): Nearly 175 lakh tonnes of paddy has been procured in Punjab and Haryana this season, food and civil supplies officials in the two states said Monday.

Of this, nearly 125 lakh tonnes were procured in Punjab while over 50 lakh tonnes were procured in Haryana.

Over 95 percent of the paddy arrivals have been procured by government agencies in Punjab while the rest has been bought by private rice millers and traders.

Sangrur, Ludhiana and Patiala districts in Punjab were leading in paddy procurement, the officials said.

In neighbouring Haryana, nearly 50 lakh tonnes of paddy has so far arrived in the various grain markets, officials said. This is higher than the paddy procurement of 46.74 lakh tonnes in the same period last year.

Government agencies in Haryana have procured nearly 35.5 lakh tonnes paddy this year. The rest has gone to rice millers and traders.

Karnal, Kurukshetra and Kaithal districts of Haryana were leading in paddy arrivals.

Procurement of paddy in both states started Oct 1.