Farmers suffer losses as wheat lifting delays stall payments in Sirsa mandis

Soaring temperatures and slow wheat procurement are adding to the woes of farmers in Haryana’s Sirsa district, where large quantities of wheat are lying in grain markets due to delays in lifting.

The wheat harvesting season is at its peak, and most of the crop has already arrived in mandis, with more still coming in. However, the situation in the markets remains similar to previous years, with congestion and delays continuing despite repeated complaints.

Farmers and commission agents say that instead of improving the system, authorities have introduced new online procedures at a crucial time. While the government claims these steps are meant to make selling easier, many on the ground say they have made the process more complicated.

Government portals have been facing heavy traffic, leading to technical glitches and slow processing. New requirements, such as biometric verification and uploading tractor photographs, have also increased the workload for farmers and traders.

“The crop data is already available on the portal. These additional formalities are unnecessary,” said Manohar Lal Mehta, vice-president of the Haryana Arhtiya Association. He added that farmers are becoming increasingly frustrated as their problems continue to grow.

Mehta said the main issue is the slow lifting of wheat from mandis. At present, only about 40 per cent of the crop has been lifted, while nearly 60 per cent is still lying in the markets. He pointed out that although three government agencies are involved in procurement, lifting contracts are often awarded to a single contractor who is unable to arrange enough transport vehicles.

“This happens every year because wheat production keeps increasing, but the procurement system remains unchanged,” he said. He added that the association had recommended to Chief Minister Nayab Saini that each government agency should have a separate contractor to speed up lifting, but the suggestion has not yet been implemented.

The delay in lifting has a direct impact on farmers’ payments. Farmers are paid only after the grain is transported to warehouses, meaning delays in lifting also delay payments. In contrast, farmers in neighbouring Punjab receive payment soon after the sale is recorded.

Local farmer Raghubir Singh said his crop has been lying in the mandi for nearly a week without payment. “I have to borrow money from the commission agent to manage household expenses,” he said. “School fees for my children are due in April, but I have not received my payment yet.”

According to data, by Saturday, 22,14,317 quintals of wheat had arrived in Sirsa district mandis, of which only 8,14,322 quintals had been lifted, leaving 13,99,995 quintals still lying in the markets.

Traders and farmers have urged the administration to speed up the lifting process and improve basic facilities such as storage and protection from weather. They say the focus should be on managing the physical handling of crops rather than introducing additional digital procedures during the peak season.

Meanwhile, BJP district president Yatindra Singh visited the Rania grain market on Sunday and acknowledged concerns over slow lifting. He directed officials to expedite the process but said that procurement itself was being carried out smoothly and that all arriving wheat was being purchased.

Virendra Mehta, Secretary of the Sirsa Market Committee, said that transporters have been repeatedly asked to provide additional vehicles, and notices are being issued again to speed up the process. “The slow pace of lifting is mainly due to a shortage of trucks among transporters.”