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Paddy procurement begins in Punjab, private agencies buy 66% of stock sold
Patiala recorded a maximum arrival of more than 5,000 tonnes of non-basmati varieties. Private entities bought about 8,000 tonnes and government agencies procured the remaining 4,000 tonnes, as per the Punjab Mandi Board data.
Private agencies bought 66% of the 12,000 tonnes of paddy sold in Punjab on Saturday on the first day of the 2022 kharif marketing season, which saw the arrival of 29,000 tonnes in the agricultural produce markets, official data show.
Patiala recorded a maximum arrival of more than 5,000 tonnes of non-basmati varieties. Private entities bought about 8,000 tonnes and government agencies procured the remaining 4,000 tonnes, as per the Punjab Mandi Board data. About 17,000 tonnes of paddy remained unsold on the first day of the official purchase of the major kharif crop.
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Out of 22 districts, eight including Bathinda, Pathankot and Sangrur did not report any arrival on Saturday. Patiala, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar districts were the key districts to see the crop arrivals.
The Centre has allowed 17% moisture in the paddy crop, as the state is expected to produce 191 lakh tonne of parmal rice this season. The moisture in the crop reaching grain markets was well within permissible norms, Punjab food and civil supplies department officials said.
“The state government has made elaborated arrangements for procurement, and the staff of the food department and four procurement agencies have reached mandis. Authorities are monitoring to ensure adequate availability of gunny bags,” said an officer of the Punjab food and civil supplies department, who wished to remain unnamed.
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The Mandi Board has notified more than 1,800 purchase centres across the state. To avoid a glut in the mandis, temporary purchase centres are being identified for the paddy procurement.
“State authorities have decided that, unlike the previous year, no temporary mandi would be established in any rice sheller,” said Bathinda district mandi officer Rajnish Goel. “It has been done ensure to check malpractice of recycling of paddy.”
