Delayed harvest: Wheat arrival slow in mandis

Tribune News Service

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Amritsar, April 23

Owning to delayed harvesting, a total of 9,500 tonnes of wheat has arrived so far at grain markets of the district. Besides, Mandi Board officials on Wednesday did not allow the tractor-trailers bringing wheat as it had the moisture content more than the permissible limit.

Gurpal Singh, a farmer from Malawali village, said, “Yesterday, a total of eight farmers from the village had taken one trolley each to the Bhagtanwala grain market. Seven trolleys were returned and only one was allowed inside the market.” He added that due to strictness, farmers had now stopped harvesting and were waiting for the grains to dry.

The officials stated that around 6,700 tonnes of wheat crop had been purchased by the government procurement agencies with Pungrain procuring the maximum amount of the crop. Agriculture experts stated that firstly sowing of the crop was delayed due to excessive rains. Even many farmers had to sow the fields afresh as the seeds failed to germinate due to unfavourable weather conditions.

Intermittent rain that lashed the district last week had resulted in increasing the moisture content in the wheat crop. Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Harinderjit Singh said with two or three days of good sunshine the crop would ripen fully. “Once the harvesting picks up pace, the entire crop could be harvested within 10 days as the state has a large number of combine harvesters,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mandi Board officials have advised farmers to bring fully ripened crop with the moisture content less than 12 per cent. “The moisture is checked at the entrance of the grain market and if it exceeds the limit, the trolley is not allowed to enter. The farmers are advised to abide by the government instructions,” said Amardeep Singh, secretary, market committee, Bhagtanwala.