No wheat arrival in Bathinda mandis on Day 1

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Bathinda, April 1

Though the wheat procurement season started today, hardly a grain arrived at any of the 188 purchase centres set up in Bathinda district. The reason for the slow arrival is that harvest is yet to gather pace and produce is expected to start coming to grain markets by next week.

A survey of the grain markets conducted by The Tribune team revealed though logistics were in place, there was no trace of new produce anywhere. The grain market at Bathinda wore a desolate look. There were no farmers at the mandi, only labourers, who had come all the way from Bihar to earn money during the wheat procurement season.

Ashok Dhunike, a commission agent, claimed this time farmers and traders both were in jubilant mood as for the first time, wheat is set to fetch more price than MSP and even more private players were expected to make the purchase.

Further, he claimed that earlier industries used to make purchases from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan, where they used to get wheat at a lower price than that of Punjab, but the grain is high everywhere due to its rising demand in the international market this time. Officials claimed emphasis was on the creation of requisite storage space, time-bound auction and lifting of foodgrain to avoid glut.

A Bathinda Market Committee official said farmers would not face any problem at the grain market as all arrangements were in place. “Farmers’ produce would be procured as soon as they arrive at grain markets. They will not have to stay at grain markets during the night,” he said.

Mere 9 tonne purchased across state

• On the first day of wheat procurement season that began on Friday, just 16 tonne of wheat arrival was recorded in Rajpura
• Punjab Mandi Board officials said of the total market arrival, just nine tonne was purchased
• The state government is expecting 132 lakh metric tonne (LMT) wheat arrival in the mandis. It is also anticipating private players will buy about 10 LMT, in wake of the global wheat shortage fuelled by the Ukraine war
• The state has notified 1,862 mandis, and 458 temporary yards for the wheat procurement

Harvest yet to start

All arrangements have been made by the government for procurement, but wheat arrival in the market will start from April 7 to 8 as harvest will begin in a day or so. — Ashok Dhunike, commission agent