Wheat procurement: Uncertainty over mode of payment haunts farmers
Arrangements are being made across the state for the smooth purchase, but there is still no official word on the mode of payment to farmers
Even as wheat procurement is slated to start in Punjab on April 10, uncertainty continues to loom large around the process on the ground.
Field officials engaged in the massive procurement exercise said on Tuesday that elaborate arrangements are being made across the state for the smooth purchase, but there is still no official word on the mode of payment to farmers.
Officials familiar with the development say though the Punjab government has been stating that payments will be done through arhtiyas, quoting Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) rules, but explicit details in this regard are still awaited.
“We understand that arhtiyas will stay in the picture for wheat procurement as directions have been issued by the state authorities that the farmers will be allowed to come to grain markets and other procurement centres on basis of coupons issued through the commission agents,” said a district official.
For the second consecutive year, wheat will be procured in a staggered manner to avoid mass gatherings in view of the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak.
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) in March had asked the state government for the land records of farmers to enable direct, online payment of minimum support price (MSP). The payment is routed through arhtiyas or commission agents under current practice.
People familiar with the development say according to a nine-page communication of the food and civil supplies department dated Apri 1, payment for wheat purchase will be done online through Punjab government’s “anaaj kharid portal”.
“We are yet to get the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the online payment. The state authorities have directed the mandi board to make all arrangements to purchase each foodgrain in mandis. All purchase agencies are working in tandem for procurement,” said the district mandi officer of Bathinda Preet Kanwar Singh Brar.
Punjab is expected to produce 130 lakh MT and FCI is scheduled to buy 20% or 26 lakh MT. Rest stock will be bought by four state agencies where Pungrain will buy 29.9 lakh MT followed by Markfed and Punsup at 28.60 lakh MT each. Punjab warehouse is slated to procure 16.9 lakh MT.
Bathinda, the largest district of southern Punjab is expected to procure 10.31 lakh metric tonne wheat, a marginal increase of 31,000 MT than the previous season.
Besides 182 conventional mandis, additional 150 sites will be used for purchase in a phased manner.
Fazilka district food and supplies controller (DFSC) Gurpreet Kang said a shortage of bags will be overcome before the mass arrival of rabi crop in the next few days as bulk supplies of gunny and plastic bags are underway.
“There are no serious space constraints and the old stock is continuously transported by different agencies. For this year, FCI has ensured to provide ample storage space,” said Kang.
Mansa district mandi officer Rajnish Goel said a farmer will be entitled to sell 50 quintals of produce
“From today we started Covid-19 vaccination for all those eligible persons engaged in procurement including, arthiyas, loaders, mandi board officials and farmers,” he said.