Wheat threshing, procurement disrupted in Kangra, courtesy unseasonal rain

Unseasonal rain and inclement weather over the past two days have severely impacted wheat harvesting and procurement in the lower regions of Kangra district. The ongoing spell of rain has not only delayed harvesting and threshing operations but also slowed down procurement activities at designated centres. The wheat crop had already faced delays due to a prolonged dry spell during the winter, which pushed back the sowing season. Now, just as harvesting gained momentum, the wet spell since Tuesday brought field operations to a standstill.

Farmers, who had harvested their crops over the past week, are facing significant difficulties, as threshing was halted due to the sudden rain and the harvested produce was exposed to moisture damage. Many growers fear substantial losses, as protecting the harvested wheat from getting wet has become a major challenge. In an attempt to safeguard their produce, several farmers have covered their wheat produce with plastic sheets in their fields.

Meanwhile, due to the delay in harvesting and threshing activities, wheat procurement has also been impeded in three designated procurement centres set up by the State Marketing Board (SMB) and the Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), Kangra, at Milan in Indora subdivision and Fatehpur and Riyali in Fatehpur subdivision.

Though the State Food and Civil Supplies Corporation was slated to begin wheat procurement from April 8, operations in Kangra were delayed due to late harvesting in the lower belt. Procurement began at the Riyali centre on April 11, at Milwan on April 16 and at Fatehpur on April 17. However, no procurement was recorded at the Nagrota Bagwan centre, as no farmer brought their produce there.

Shagun Sood, Secretary of APMC, Kangra, told The Tribune that 6,634 quintals of wheat was procured from 96 farmers at the Riyali centre, 1,824 quintals from 34 farmers at Milwan and 171 quintals from five farmers at the Fatehpur centre from April 8 to 28. No wheat procurement was recorded at Nagrota Bagwan, the fourth designated procurement centre in Kangra district as no farmer turned up there.

She said that the Kangra APMC had been providing basic facilities such as potable water, waiting rooms, electricity, parking, wooden crates, storage and winnowing machines to farmers. Labour and grain cleaning charges had also been standardised for farmers’ convenience, she added.

Shagun said that the HP State Food and Civil Supply Corporation was procuring wheat at Rs 2,585 per quintal at the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the Central Government this year.