Pungrain leads paddy procurement in district

Punjab Grains Procurement Corporation Limited (Pungrain) has emerged as the leading food agency in paddy procurement and lifting operations across the district during the ongoing kharif marketing season.

As on October 27, Pungrain has procured 2,99,045 MT of paddy and lifted 2,58,772 MT. Markfed ranks second with 1,71,000 MT procurement and 1,54,500 MT lifting. Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (Punsup) follows with 1,12,802 MT purchase and lifting of 1,08,539 MT. The PSWC procured 80,514 MT of paddy and lifted 71,707 MT.

In a meeting with officials from the Food, Civil and Supplies Department, Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain said payments worth Rs 1,545 crore had been made to farmers. He emphasised the district administration’s commitment to procuring every grain of farmers’ produce. It has made comprehensive arrangements at all procurement centres to ensure seamless operations. The officials have been instructed to conduct regular inspections of mandis to monitor and optimise the procurement process, addressing any challenges promptly.

To maintain quality standards, Jain urged farmers to ensure their paddy was thoroughly dried and meets government-specified moisture levels before bringing it to the markets. Additionally, he exhorted farmers to manage paddy stubble by using modern agricultural machinery instead of burning it as burning not only harms the environment but also produces pollution detrimental to human health.

He said paddy stubble was useful for farmers as the residue could play an important role in enhancing the soil fertility if incorporated into the field with the help of ultra-modern equipment.