Slow paddy purchase becomes poll issue

Even as the government has decided to advance paddy procurement to September 27, farmers in Haryana’s rice belt are angry owing to the slow pace of procurement. The delay has flooded the grain markets, leaving farmers in distress and it has become a political issue.

LoP Rahul Gandhi highlighted the non-procurement of paddy in Ambala, while Bhupinder Hooda and INLD’s Abhay Chautala also addressed the issue in their speeches.

The root cause of the delay is the non-registration of rice millers under the custom milled rice (CMR) policy for the 2024-25 season. The absence of millers has made lifting the crop difficult, leading procurement agencies to hesitate in purchasing more, said an official. Data collected by The Tribune shows that out of 15.43 lakh quintals of paddy brought to grain markets across the state, only 1.22 lakh quintals have been procured by government agencies. In Karnal, 1,010 quintals have been purchased from the 1.99 lakh quintals that arrived, while Kaithal has seen only 1,130 quintals procured out of 1.63 lakh quintals.

Sunil of Nagla Megha said, “I have been waiting for three days for my crop’s procurement. I was told that since millers have not started lifting, procurement could not be done.” Rattan Mann, head, BKU-Mann, accused millers of delaying procurement to compel farmers to sell at throwaway prices.

Millers have their own grievances. Saurabh Gupta, head of the Karnal Rice Millers and Dealers’ Association, criticised the new CMR policy, saying that the deadline for delivery has been moved up to March 15, 2025, from April 30. Anil Kalra, District Food and Supplies Controller, said: “We are also approaching the millers to start registration for procurement.”