Paddy lifting picks up pace

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 15

Paddy procurement in the district grain markets has picked up pace as over 91,000 tonnes of paddy has been procured by different government agencies so far. Pungrain has procured around 34,300 tonnes of paddy followed by Markfed with 23,336 tonnes. The Food Corporation of India has procured around 4,100 tonnes of paddy and is trailing among all the five agencies.

District Mandi Officer Jaswinder Singh said around 2.50 lakh tonnes of basmati varieties had been purchased by private players. He said around 68,587 tonnes of paddy had been lifted from the markets and shifted to warehouses.

He said there was ample space for unloading of new arrival of produce. He added that 98 per cent of the produce was procured on the same day of arrival so that farmers get free by the evening. Jaswinder Singh advised the farmers to harvest fully ripened crop only as more moisture content may pose problem at the time of procurement.