Paddy starts arriving in Punjab mandis, farmers sell below MSP amid postponement of procurement

In Asia’s largest mandi at Khanna in Ludhiana district, over 1 lakh tonne paddy has been brought by farmers for procurement since September 28

LUDHIANA/BATHINDA/PATIALA The central government’s decision to postpone the procurement of paddy in Punjab and Haryana till October 11 has left the farmers in a lurch as some of them were forced to sell their produce to private buyers at rates lower than minimum support price (MSP) in the mandis that witnessed arrival of grain in large volumes.

Farmers and workers drying grain at the Bhagtanwala mandi in Punjab’s Amritsar district where paddy was brought for procurement. The produce was sold below MSP by some farmers, it is learnt.

In Punjab, the procurement for the 2021-2022 kharif marketing season at the minimum support prices (MSP) was to start on Friday.

Paddy has started arriving in Asia’s largest grain market at Khanna in Ludhiana district. Khanna market committee secretary Surjeet Singh said over 1 lakh tonne paddy has arrived since September 28. Besides, 35,000 tonne basmati variety of paddy was procured by private players, he added.

The Bhagatanwala mandi, the largest grain market in Amritsar district, had heaps of paddy lying in the open on Friday. Till Thursday evening, more than 60,000 quintal paddy arrived in the grain market.

Tajinderpal Singh, a farmer from Tarn Taran district, said, “Procurement by government agencies starts from October 1 every year and the farmers harvest the paddy crop and bring it to mandis accordingly. The postponement of procurement by 11 days has added woes to farmers who already are under stress.”

“The government’s decision has paved the way for loot of farmers in mandis by private buyers. The farmers cannot wait for the government to procure the harvest for so many days. The farmers who have brought the grain to mandis cannot take it back. They will have to sell it in a day or two. Today, the farmers were forced to sell their produce at ₹1,400 per quintal against the MSP of ₹1,960,” he added.

Hardeep Singh, a farmer from Shahoora, a border village said they did not know that the procurement had been postponed. “We brought the produce to the Bhagatwanwala mandi with the hope that it would be procured today only. When we reached the grain market, we were told that the procurement will start after 10 days. I was left with no option but to sell the produce to private buyers. I could not keep the produce for a long time because there are no proper arrangements in the mandis. There are no sheds. I had to bear a loss of around ₹500 per quintal,” he said.

In six districts of the Ferozepur circle, 1,795 metric tonne paddy arrived on Friday. Of this, 864 MT was purchased by private players. Faridkot district reported the arrival of 1,511 MT, maximum in south Malwa, followed by 190 MT in Bathinda and 94 MT in Ferozepur districts. No mandi in Muktsar, Fazilka and Mansa witnessed arrival.

Paddy started arriving in the grain markets of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar and Kapurthala districts. In Sultanpur Lodhi of Kapurthala district, many farmers had to sell their produce to private buyers below the MSP. The farmers in Kapurthala said they can’t delay harvesting of paddy as they have to sow potato, peas and other crops.

In Patiala district, an arrival of 4,076 metric tonne (MT) paddy was recorded at 19 of a total of 103 purchasing centres.

Sangrur mandi officer Mandeep Singh and Barnala district food supplies controller (DFSC) Sweety Devgan said no produce arrived in grain markets in the two districts on Friday.