Bajra sells below MSP in Palwal, official procurement of paddy awaited

Tribune News Service

Palwal, September 26

Official agencies are yet to start the procurement of kharif crops — bajra and paddy — in the district.

It is reported that with Bajra fetching a price of Rs 1,900 per quintal against the MSP of Rs 2,500, the rate of the 1509 variety of the basmati rice by private agencies remains unchanged at Rs 3,000 per quintal. The official procurement of the parmal variety of paddy is expected to begin by the second week of October.

“Despite the announcement that the procurement of bajra and paddy would begin from September 25, the government agencies are yet to start the process at a majority of mandis in the district,” an official of the market committee said. Against the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) of Rs 2,200, bajra is being procured at a rate of Rs 1,900 per quintal by private traders.

Blaming the authorities for the delay, Gaurav Tewatia, an office-bearer of the Commission Agents Association, said no official agency had been picked up for the procurement of bajra. “The farmers are suffering a loss of Rs 300 per quintal,” he said, adding that the growers are not sure if the losses will be compensated through the Bhawantar Bharpai scheme, launched a few years ago.

Expressing concern over the glitches888999 in the registration system in the government portal for selling crops, he said only 35 per cent of paddy growers were able get registered so far. This is likely to make a majority of them sell kharif crops below the MSP. The mandis here have got around 2,200 quintals of bajra 5,400 bales of cotton and over 20,000 quintals of basmati paddy.

Rajbir Rawat, a farmer from Manpur village, said, “Farmers at Hodal Mandi are faced with a similar problem. While hundreds of quintals of the 1509 and parmal variety of paddy had arrived in the mandi, procurement was done by private traders, he said. While there is no change in the rate of the 1509 variety, the parmal variety is being purchased at a rate of Rs 2,000 against the MSP of Rs 2,200, Rawat claimed.

Ranbir, a farmer, said the per acre production of bajra and paddy crops was between 1,600 and 1,800 kg compared to 2,400 to 2800 kg per acre last year. This is down by up to 35 per cent, mainly due to low rains and high temperatures, it is claimed, he said. Palwal Market Committee Secretary Mandeep Singh said while the Food and Supplies Department and Haryana Warehouse Corporation have been nominated as official agencies for the procurement of parmal, the name of the agency to procure bajra was yet to be announced. He said the official procurement of paddy is expected to begin soon.

Was slated to begin on September 25

Despite the announcement that the procurement of bajra and paddy will begin on September 25, the government agencies are yet to start the process at a majority of mandis in the district. — An official, market committee

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