Wheat arrival yet to pick up at Asia’s second largest grain market in Jagraon

LUDHIANA: Even though the official procurement of wheat has started from today, the arrival of wheat crop is yet to pick up at Jagraon Grain Market, which is the second largest grain market in Asia after Khanna Grain Market.

Labourers at work. Tribune Photos: Himanshu mahajan

Jaswant Shetra

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, April 23

Even though the official procurement of wheat has started from today, the arrival of wheat crop is yet to pick up at Jagraon Grain Market, which is the second largest grain market in Asia after Khanna Grain Market.

The arrival of wheat crop is delayed due to prolonged winter as a result of which the wheat crop has not ripened completely.

During a visit to the grain market Jagraon, there was only a little stock of wheat crop. According to sources, only few farmers have brought their produce for procurement at the grain market.

Jagraon Market Committee officials said only 50, 000 bags of wheat had arrived at grain market so far which is quite less as compared to the previous years. Similar is the situation in most of the rural grain markets of Jagraon.

The arrival of wheat crop is quite late as compared to the past years. Usually the farmers start bringing their crop to the grain markets in the first week of April, but this has not happened this time around.

“Usually the arrival of wheat crop starts in the first week of April and thereafter the pace of wheat arrival keeps picking up, but this time, the arrival of wheat crop is yet to begin. The wheat crop in the area has not ripened completely, therefore, the farmers have not started the harvesting of crop. Because of the delay in crop harvesting, the arrival of wheat crop has not started till now”, said Rajinder Singh, a commission agent at Jagraon Grain Market.

Meanwhile, the farmers have expressed displeasure over arrangement made by the administration at the grain markets. Though the authorities of local administration claim off being fully prepared for the procurement of the crop but the fact is that the grain markets appear under-prepared for the arrivals.

Jagraon Market Committee secretary Gurmatpal Singh said, “We are fully prepared for the procurement season. More than one hundred purchase centers have been set in Jagraon grain market for smooth procurement of wheat crop.”