Crop purchased in only 10 Jalandhar mandis

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 28

Two days after the government announced paddy procurement in the state, farmers in the district have started arriving in the grain markets with their produce.

However, the number remains limited as the crop is yet to mature. Of the 149 grain markets, the crop arrived in only 36 mandis and purchase was made only in 10 mandis. As per the revised minimum support price (MSP), the purchase was made for Rs 1,888 per quintal. Raman Nehra, an official of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), Jalandhar, said in the first two days of procurement, the FCI purchased 100 metric tonnes of rice and Pungrain purchased 600 metric tonnes.

Owing to high moisture content, the procurement is likely to gain momentum only after the first week of October.

Charanjit Singh, a farmer, who had come from Jandu Singha, said, “I am bringing my crop in a phased manner as in most of my fields, the crop is yet to ripen. Today I brought only 50-60 quintals of the produce. We are happy that the MSP was increased this year, but the government should ensure that there won’t be any private buyer as we have suffered huge losses after selling maize. The government had kept Rs 1,850 MSP, but private buyers purchased it for Rs 600 to Rs 1,000.”

Avtar Singh, who had come from Nandanpur village, hailed the government’s decision to advance the procurement this year, but rued that the hike in the MSP was not sufficient. “The MSP will not give us any profit this year as due to labour shortage, the sowing process made a big hole in our pockets. Last year the labour cost was around Rs 2,400-2,600, but this season the cost was between Rs 4,000 and Rs 5,000. Considering this loss the MSP should have been over Rs 2,000.”

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