Paddy procurement nears 1 lakh MT in K’thala; Rs186 crore disbursed to farmers

Paddy procurement in Kapurthala district has neared the 1 lakh metric ton mark, with the process continuing smoothly under the district administration’s supervision.

As of Sunday, a total of 85,394 metric tons of paddy had been procured, with daily arrivals of 7,000 to 8,000 metric tons. Officials expect this inflow to increase significantly over the next two to three days.

Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal said that the procurement process has been seamless due to strict administrative arrangements. Alongside SDM officials, procurement agencies, the Mandi Board and the Food Supply Department are conducting regular inspections at the markets to ensure transparency and efficiency.

The Deputy Commissioner added that payments to farmers are being processed promptly, with Rs 186 crore already credited directly to their bank accounts. This exceeds the standard 48-hour payment window by 126.87 per cent.

Among the procurement agencies, Pungrain has procured 28,478 metric tons, PUNSUP 19,078 metric tons, Markfed 29,822 metric tons and the Punjab State Warehousing Corporation 7,711 metric tons.

Panchal urged farmers to bring only dry paddy to the markets to avoid delays in procurement. He also appealed to farmers to carry out harvesting operations strictly between 10 am and 6 pm to ensure the smooth continuation of the procurement process.

Farmers can register for wheat seed subsidy

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has made special arrangements to provide support to farmers for wheat seeds for the upcoming Rabi 2025–26 season.

Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Jaswinder Singh stated that as per the policy, farmers will receive a subsidy of Rs 2,000 per quintal on wheat seeds. Additionally, flood-affected farmers will be eligible to receive wheat seeds free of cost.

Dr Singh said like previous years, farmers can register on the official portal of the Agriculture Department — www.agrimachinarypb.com — to avail the subsidy. He emphasised that only those farmers who are found eligible by the department will receive the subsidy. Free seeds will be distributed to farmers listed in the flood-affected areas as identified by the district administration.

He further said PUNSEED has been designated as the nodal agency for seed supply. The subsidy will only be available for wheat varieties recommended by Punjab Agricultural University.