Slow start to paddy procurement in district

Paddy procurement in the state began earlier than usual this year, kicking off on September 16. However, the season has seen a sluggish start, especially in the district, where only 850 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy had arrived in grain markets till Wednesday.

Of this, 398 MT has been procured by government agencies while private buyers are yet to make any purchases. No lifting of the procured stock has taken place so far.

The delay in arrivals has been attributed to incessant rains and flooding across the region, which disrupted harvesting schedules and affected crop quality. Only early-maturing varieties were expected to reach mandis initially but even those have been delayed due to adverse weather conditions.

Farmer Jagroop Singh, who arrived at the market with his produce, expressed concern over moisture levels. “I’ve come with the hope that my grains will be dry enough for procurement. It rained heavily this time, so the final word will come after an arhtiya checks the condition of the paddy,” he said.

He said many farmers in his village were facing quality issues due to the recent downpours.

Another farmer from Maachiwara, waiting at the market with his harvest, shared his apprehensions. “I’m hoping to get a fair price but worried about the moisture content. We’ve had to delay harvesting. Now, we’re racing against time to dry the grains,” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Jain has urged farmers to bring only dry paddy with moisture levels not exceeding 17 per cent to the mandis. “We understand challenges farmers are facing but to ensure smooth procurement and storage, it is essential that paddy meets moisture norms,” Jain said.

To regulate harvesting practices, Jain also announced strict timings for the use of combine harvesters, limiting their operation between 10 am and 6 pm.

“Violators will face stringent action, including seizure of equipment,” he warned.

To ensure transparency and efficiency, Jain has directed all SDMs and heads of procurement agencies to monitor procurement activities across Ludhiana’s grain markets.

With an estimated 16.55 lakh MT of paddy expected to arrive in markets this season, stakeholders are hopeful that the pace will pick up in coming days. However, farmers and officials alike agree that flood aftermath and moisture management would play a decisive role in how the season unfolds.

Every grain of farmers will be procured: Minister

Cabinet Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Thursday initiated paddy procurement at the Asia’s largest grain market, assuring farmers that every grain of their crop would be procured.

Sond said the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy has been set at Rs 2,389 per quintal. The state has been assigned a target of procuring 172 lakh metric tonnes of paddy but arrangements have been made to handle up to 190 lakh metric tonnes to accommodate higher yields.

The minister assured the farmers that crop lifting and payments would be done concurrently, with direct transfers to farmers’ bank accounts processed immediately. He also held a meeting with officials and commission agents at the Khanna Market Committee office to discuss arrangements for smooth paddy procurement.