Tardy procurement: Heaps of problems pile up for farmers

Chandigarh: It is the wheat procurement season in Punjab and Haryana and the farmers of both the states are facing problems in selling their crops in the mandis as the government agencies have already reached the target of procurement.

Farmers from the neighbouring UP and Rajasthan have dumped their wheat in Haryana, making it difficult for the state government to procure the yield. Farmers of other states are not permitted to sell their produce in Haryana.

Wheat is being procured at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,735 per quintal in Haryana while the farmers of UP and Rajasthan are getting lowers rates in their states.

In order to check the dumping of wheat from other states, the Haryana government has directed secretaries of market committees to register cases against arhtiyas for procuring wheat from other states at less rates and selling it in Haryana at the MSP.

In all, as many as 11 licences of arhtiyas have been suspended — 10 in Taraori and one in Indri grain markets — for their alleged involvement in procuring wheat from Uttar Pradesh or Rajasthan.

“Notices have been served on several arhtiyas in Karnal and Gharaunda grain markets for illegal trade in wheat,” said Sushil Kumar Malik, zonal administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB).

“The state government has ordered that illegal trading of wheat from UP and Rajasthan must be stopped. We have directed all market committee secretaries to keep a vigil on the trading of wheat from other states,” said Aditya Dahiya, DC, Karnal.

In Punjab, the procurement process is slow as there is delay in wheat procurement by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). So far the agency has bought just 8.62 lakh metric tonne (LMT), much lower than its target of 20 per cent of the total arrivals. The problem has been reported in Amritsar, Mansa and Bathinda districts, where farmers have started agitation over the issue.

Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary, BKU, said the lifting of grain from the mandis was still an issue. “The procurement is bare minimum. Even where the FCI has started procuring wheat, there is a shortage of gunny bags, leading to heaps of grain piling up in the mandis,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Punjab food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu has said that his department will ensure timely procurement of every grain of the crop. No farmer would suffer due to late procurement and lifting of crop, he said.