3.5 lakh quintal paddy yet to be procured in Karnal grain markets

Parveen Arora

Karnal, October 30

With the procurement being stopped temporarily in the district by the administration due to reports of the arrival of ‘parmal’ paddy varieties from Uttar Pradesh and other grain markets, around 3.5 lakh quintal paddy is lying unsold in various grain markets of the district.

Procurement only after verification

We have started procurement of paddy in the district, which has already been verified. We will purchase paddy only after verification. Anish Yadav, Deputy commissioner, Karnal

The district has received 106.26 lakh quintal of ‘parmal’ varieties, of which 103.09 lakh quintal has been procured by different procurement agencies while 3.17 lakh quintal is lying unsold in various grain markets and purchase centres, waiting for verification.

Besides, around 40,000 quintal ‘parmal’ paddy is also lying in grain markets as gate passes are yet to be issued to farmers. Suspecting the arrival of ‘parmal’ varieties from the UP and other neighbouring states, the district administration had stopped the procurement last week, after which heaps of paddy were lying in grain markets.

The farmers are also suffering as they have to guard their crop in mandis. “I have been waiting for my paddy to be procured for the past five days here in the grain market. I have been told that the procurement has been stopped. I request the authorities to verify my crop and purchase it,” said Rajpal, a farmer at the Karnal grain market.

Data from the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) revealed that 21,575 quintal of paddy of ‘parmal’ varieties was lying unsold in the Gharaunda grain market, while 1,25,067 quintal in Karnal grain market, 62,101 quintal of paddy in the Assandh grain market, 8,327 quintal in the Taraori grain market and 33,231 quintal was yet to be procured in the Indri grain market.

In the Nilokheri grain market, 5,367 quintal of ‘parmal’ paddy was lying unsold, while 20,914 quintal in the Nissing grain market, 15,970 quintal in Kunjpura, 7,454 quintal in Nigdhu and 17,198 quintal in the Jundla grain market was yet to be procured, the data further revealed. The authorities claimed that verification of the arrived crop with registration on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) portal was going on and procurement resumed for the paddy, which had already been verified.

Sushil Malik, Zonal Administrator (ZA), Karnal HSAMB, said the verification of around 50,000 quintal of paddy had been done. Their team was working for the verification of the remaining crop, he said.