Basmati harvest picks up pace, 1.57 lakh MT reaches mandis in Amritsar

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 25

With the harvesting of basmati 1509 picking up pace in the district, a total of 1,57,241 metric tonne (MT) of produce has arrived in the grain markets in the district.

With the basmati recording a maximum price of Rs 3,480 per quintal and a minimum price of Rs 2,675 per quintal, farmers said the profit from the crop was higher this year as compared to the previous year. Last year, the maximum price of the variety remained around Rs 2,900 per quintal.

As the basmati varieties are not procured by the government procurement agencies, the prices are decided by private traders and exporters. The prices are decided on the factors as luster, breakage and moisture content in the grains.

The produce with higher moisture content fetches a low price. The district mandi officials stated that the farmers are in a hurry to sow vegetable crops and as such many of them are bringing produce with more moisture content.

The officials stated that a maximum of 88,846 MT of basmati has arrived at the Bhagtanwala grain market followed by 43,716 MT in Gehri Mandi near Jandiala. While the harvesting of early sown basmati had began around three weeks ago, the district mandi board is also making preparations for procurement of non basmati varieties as government procurement is scheduled to start from October 1.

The mandi officials however stated that the non basmati varieties would not be ready for harvesting for next two weeks. “The harvesting of non-basmati varieties is expected to start during the second week of October,” said an official.

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