Shortage of gunny bags worries wheat growers in Punjab

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 4

The shortage of gunny bags at purchase centres has hit wheat procurement in the region, worrying both farmers and commission agents.

The state government had directed the authorities concerned to purchase B sample bags from the local market in case of shortage of jute bags, as jute mills have been lying closed amid lockdown, but still the problems persists.

Irked over the shortage of bags, the farmers protested outside the Nathana market committee office here today.

BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) leader Shingara Singh Mann said: “We have visited many grain markets in Bathinda district and mostly every market is facing the shortage of gunny bags.”

He sought that the state government should provide sufficient bags and speed up the lifting process.

Sukhmander Singh, a farmer from Mehta village, said: “My produce has been lying at a grain market in Mehta for one week. The procurement is slow due to the shortage of bags.”

Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said: “Earlier, there was shortage of bags as jute mills were closed and there was restriction on the movement of people. Now, there is no shortage.”

He said the entire crop would be procured by May 8.