Moisture issue: Amritsar district administration bans use of combine harvesters at night

The district administration has imposed a ban on use of combine harvesters for paddy harvesting at night to combat the problem of more moisture in grains. As per the orders issued by Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney, the combine harvesters cannot be used for paddy harvesting from 7 pm to 6 am.

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The paddy crop harvested at night increases moisture content above the permissible limit. Owing to increased moisture, the procurement agencies are unable to purchase such produce which is kept out in the open for days to dry. This creates a shortage of space at the mandis causing a hurdle in the smooth flow of procurement work.

Agriculture experts said the paddy crop should be harvested when it is fully ripened as it becomes fit for purchase at the minimum support price (MSP). If the crop fails the quality parameters set for purchase at the MSP, it has to be sold to private traders, who offer a lower price.

District Agriculture Officer Dr Tajinder Singh said, “The farmers should not be in a hurry and bring only fully ripened crop.” He said at present, the harvesting of early-sown basmati varieties has started.

“The harvesting of PR and PUSA varieties of paddy would also start soon and it would draw a crowd at grain markets,” he said, adding that as harvesting these days is fully mechanized, huge stocks of produce would arrive at the mandis each day and to run the operation smoothly, it is required that the crop is ready for procurement the same day.