Rain slows harvest; 8K MT procured in district mandis

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, October 13

The recent showers in the district have slowed the harvesting of paddy as the combine harvesters are unable to operate in wet fields. Mandi Board officials say they hope that the harvesting will pick up the pace in a day or two.

Meanwhile, of the total 30 grain markets set up to purchase paddy, the government agencies have become active in 22 mandis. “In certain areas, the harvesting of non-basmati varieties, which are procured by government agencies, has not started,” said District Mandi Officer Kulwant Singh.

The official said the early sown basmati varieties had mostly been harvested and the late sown varieties, including non-basmati varieties, are still standing in fields. “As per our estimate, only around 15 per cent of the total land under paddy varieties has been harvested so far,” said the mandi officer.

The government agencies have procured around 8,500 metric tonne of the produce in the district. Officials said they were facing problem due to more moisture in the grain. As per government specifications, the produce with moisture content lower than 17 per cent can be procured by the government agencies.

However, the unexpected showers in the area during the last two weeks have increased the moisture content. Many farmer organisations have raised demand for increase in the permissible moisture limit to 25 per cent.

Dhanwant Singh Khataekalan of the Kirti Kisan Union said, “The weather is beyond the control of farmers. In such a situation, the government should relax the norms a little.”

He said farmers were also demanding that basmati varieties should also be brought under the ambit of the MSP.