Abohar wheat growers flock to Rajasthan

Farmers in Abohar villages located close to the Rajasthan border are finding it convenient to carry and sell their wheat produce to Sriganganagar where dozens of flour mills run round the clock.

This saves the farmers freight charges, besides bringing them on-the-spot payments from private traders.

The Abohar Market Committee is set to lose market fees substantially if farmers keep on selling their crops outside Punjab, sources said.

The average price for wheat in the private market in Sriganganagar was today quoted at Rs 2,631 per quintal, whereas the Punjab Government was paying Rs 2,425 per quintal. A farmer in Gumjal village said Sriganganagar was 10 km from the village, whereas they would have to pay much more if the crop was to be transported to Abohar, 30 km from Gumjal.

Another factor in the changed scenario was the decision taken by Rajasthan to pay farmers a bonus over and above the minimum support price (MSP) of ₹2,425 per quintal, which had started showing results.

The desert state witnessed a substantial increase in wheat procurement this year. The total procurement was 0.82 MT in Rajasthan compared to 0.23 MT last year.

As promised before the Assembly poll by the BJP, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, during his maiden visit on April 9 in Sriganganagar, announced a bonus payment of ₹150 per quintal. The CM claimed that Rajasthan took the lead in offering a higher price for wheat. The Food Corporation of India (FCI) had agreed to purchase wheat at the MSP from the farmers who got themselves registered online from home or through e-Mitra kiosks till June 25. The sellers were promised quick payment directly through their bank accounts. This prevents the sale of wheat by outsiders, officials said.

Punjab officials claimed on Monday that lifting was continuously increasing in the mandis across the district. District Food Supply Controller Vandana Kamboj said now the lifting figure and the new arrival wheat figure in the district had almost become equal. She said 31,656 metric tonnes of wheat had arrived in the mandis till yesterday and 30,755 metric tonnes, of which had been lifted.

She said now the wheat arrival had started decreasing, while the lifting was continuously increasing. With this, lifting from the mandis would increase further in the coming two to three days.

…Caption. Wheat stacks piled up at Abohar grain market on Monday.