Centre allows CAP storage for wheat

Chandigarh, April 17

As tardy lifting of wheat grain from mandis led to a glut, the Union Ministry for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has now allowed Punjab to store wheat in covered and plinth (CAP).

Initially, before the procurement season started, the ministry had banned the wheat storage in CAP. Instead, the ministry had desired that wheat procured be lifted from mandis, loaded in special trains and transported to the recipient states.

However, with the plan to transport the crop on trains not gathering much steam and mandis getting flooded with grains, the FCI has approved the storage of the new crop of wheat in open CAP storage till June 2023.

It is learnt that 7.5 lakh metric tonnes of CAP storage is available in the state. “The space was available and it is accepted to be a scientific way of storage. Thus we have decided to allow wheat storage in CAP,” B Srinivasan, GM, FCI Punjab, said.

In its news columns on April 15, The Tribune highlighted how lack of availability of trains to carry grains immediately from mandis was leading to a glut.

According to information, till now 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat has been sent directly from Punjab to other states by trains. Today, 22 special trains were given to Punjab, while the grain was loaded in 18 trains yesterday.