Basmati, PR-106 fetch good prices in Punjab

Ruchika M Khanna

Advertisement

Chandigarh, October 18

Farmers who have sown basmati (PUSA-1509 and PB-1121) and an old non-basmati variety (PR-106) in Punjab are reaping a good harvest this year. While the premiere aromatic paddy is fetching almost 45 per cent higher rates than last year, PR-106 is fetching over 70 per cent more than the minimum support price (MSP).

5.41 lakh MTBasmati arrival till date

4.9 lakh hectaresArea under basmati

Selling between Rs 3,500and Rs 3,900 per quintal

PR-106 variety

Non-basmati arrival: 37.76 LMT

Area under non-basmati paddy: 26.43 lakh hectares

Govt purchase: 36.41 LMT

Private purchase: 47,000 MT

Fetching over Rs 3.5K/quintal

Money matters

Payment due of state agencies Rs 5,668.61 crore

Payment cleared by department Rs 5,517.01 crore

Payment released to farmers Rs 4,585.47 crore

While farmers are getting the MSP of Rs 2,060 per quintal for non-basmati paddy, an almost redundant variety (PR-106) grown by a select few in south Malwa is fetching them between Rs 3,500 and Rs 3,600 per quintal. The PR-106 variety was being purchased entirely by private traders.

Raj Sood, a commission agent at Khanna grain market, said, “Private players are making a beeline for PR-106 variety. While there is no private participation in the purchase of non-basmati varieties, they are paying a high premium for this particular variety, which has a long grain and was popular between 1976- 1994. It is after a gap of 28 years that we have seen such interest in PR-106 variety.”

Basmati paddy, PUSA-1509, which was sold for Rs 2,500 per quintal last year, was now fetching Rs 3,600 per quintal. The PB-1121, too, may touch a peak price of Rs 4,200-Rs 4,400, though it was selling for Rs 3,900 per quintal.

“This buoyancy is being witnessed due to high prices of basmati in the international market,” explained Vijay Kalra, a commission agent in Ferozepur.

Meanwhile, the procurement would hit peak by the end of this week, as paddy harvesting in Malwa got delayed due to incessant rains last month.

So far, 37.76 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has arrived in mandis. In the entire belt from Patiala to Muktsar, paddy arrivals remained slow. Arhtiyas and farmers said the procurement was going on smoothly.