Paddy arrivals continue, Punjab asks Centre to up procurement target

188 lakh tonne paddy has arrived in Punjab’s grain markets and 2-3 lakh tonne more is expected, says food and civil supplies minister

With paddy arrivals still continuing in Punjab even after the agencies concerned shut the procurement operations on November 10, the state government has written to the Centre to allow purchase of the grain reaching the mandis.

Due to untimely rain, the harvesting of paddy was delayed and the Centre postponed the start of procurement till October 11 only to be advanced by a week after protests by farmers.

So far, at least 188 lakh tonne produce has arrived in the grain markets and 2-3 lakh tonne more is expected.

State food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu asked Union minister for food and public distribution Piyush Goyal to renew the procurement target to 191 lakh tonne.

In a communication received by the state government from the Centre on August 31, the procurement of rice from Punjab was fixed at 113 lakh tonne (equivalent of 168.65 lakh tonne paddy) for the current season.

“It is estimated that the total arrival of paddy this kharif season may surpass 190 lakh tonne,” said a demi-official communiqué by Ashu to the Union minister.

An official in the state food and civil supplies department said, “So far, there is no reply from the Centre and we are sending another written reminder on Tuesday (through the department secretary).”

On September 24, chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi had also requested Union food secretary during his visit to the state to revise the paddy procurement targets for the current season.

At the start of the procurement season it was promised that the purchase of produce will continue till November 30, in line with the schedule followed by the state agencies in the past two years. Previously, the procurement that started on October 1 continued till December 15.

This time, the procurement started on October 3.

Due to late rainfall at the maturing stage of the crop, the harvesting was delayed and the Centre postponed the start of procurement till October 11 but it was advanced by a week after protests by farmers.

At the start of the current season, procurement targets were set at 191 lakh tonne against the previous year’s all-time high procurement of 204 lakh tonne.

Last year, rice of previous seasons in large volumes was brought from the outside states to be mixed with freshly shelled grain so as to make profits illegally. To check the malpractices, restrictions were imposed this time.

On Sunday, 132 tonne paddy arrived in the state’s mandis, taking the total arrivals to 187.95 lakh tonne. Of the total 186.45 lakh tonne procurement so far, 167 lakh tonne has been lifted and 95,526 tonne bought by private millers. Nearly 20 lakh tonne is still lying in mandis.

GRAPHIC:

Produce purchase in mandis

187.95 lakh tonne: Total arrivals so far

167 lakh tonne: Lifted from mandis

21 lakh tonne: Still lying in mandis

168.65 lakh tonne: Centre’s procurement target this season