Punjab plans staggered procurement of paddy, may not use rice mills for storage
During the rabi season that ended on June 30, premises of 1,550 rice mills along with 1,870 mandis and procurement centres managed by mandi board were used for wheat procurement
With no signs of end to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Punjab food and civil supplies department has decided to procure paddy in a staggered manner as it did during the rabi season that ended in June.
But the department is wary of using the rice mills as storage points fearing misappropriation of the stock and mixing of recycled rice with freshly shelled grain.
“Paddy poses a bigger challenge because the volume of the kharif crop is at least one-third more than wheat. Also, paddy arrives faster in the mandis (grain markets). An average 120 lakh tonnes of wheat arrives in mandis against 180 lakh tonne paddy,” an additional director-rank official said.
During the rabi season that ended on June 30, premises of 1,550 rice mills along with 1,870 mandis and procurement centres managed by mandi board were used for wheat procurement.
“Even if the entire paddy stock from the previous season is shelled by the beginning of the new season starting October 1, and handed over to the Food Corporation of India (FCI), we have to see if we can use rice mills as storage points. We don’t want to take any chance,” the official said.
State food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said procurement of paddy in rice mills is a tricky issue. “We are working out a solution and may use other places for staggering procurement,” he added.
STATE ORDERS 5 LAKH GUNNY BALES
The department has placed orders for 5 lakh gunny bales (each bale contains 1,000 bags) with the Jute Corporation of India and has paid a sizeable amount in advance. The tentative cost of the gunny bags for the forthcoming season has been pegged at Rs 1,350 crore.
“If we do not place orders now, we would not get supply of gunny bags in the middle of procurement. The department raises funds from the banks and later adjusts the same when cash credit limit (CCL) for procurement is received,” Ashu said.
Secretary (agriculture) KS Pannu said sowing of the ‘parmal’ variety of paddy in the current kharif season is almost over. “Right now, the transplantation of aromatic premium basmati variety is going on. The ‘parmal’ variety is likely to be sown over 60 lakh acres. The Central Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) has fixed the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy at Rs 1,888 per quintal in the upcoming harvesting season,” Pannu said.