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Punjab set for a bumper wheat harvest
Punjab is expecting to harvest about 185 lakh tonnes and the market arrival is likely to be about 135 lakh tonnes.
Punjab is set to record a bumper wheat production this season with the state recording 250% more procurement in a short span of nine days and its arrival is on till June-mid, food and civil supplies minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu said on Saturday. The state has set a record by procuring 2,797,108 metric tonnes of wheat in nine days against the procurement of 1,285,981 metric tonnes in the previous year till April 23, the minister said.
Punjab contributes 30%-35% wheat to the national kitty.
Ashu said that the procurement was delayed by 15 days, instead of starting April 1, due to the pandemic as the state had to put in place adequate safety arrangements.
The state has set up 1,867 marketing yards and converted 2,200 rice mills as temporary procurement centres.
The minister said that this year government agencies procured 1,511,127 metric tonnes wheat extra in nine days against the 2019 procurement time of 23 days. “This year, the procurement is 250% more as compared to last year,” he said.
Ashu said there is no shortage of gunny bags in the state and, at present, the department has more than 2.58 lakh bales of gunny bags.
However, Ashu added that due to the lockdown the government is facing 50% labour shortage.
Punjab is expecting to harvest about 185 lakh tonnes and the market arrival is likely to be about 135 lakh tonnes.
The minimum support price (MSP) of wheat is ₹1,925 per quintal.
Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterating his demand for incentive or bonus to farmers bringing in their produce after April 30 to check overcrowding at markets.
The chief minister said the Central government should immediately announce a bonus of ₹100 per quintal over and above the MSP for bringing wheat for marketing after May 1 and ₹200 per quintal after May 31 to compensate them for the additional cost for handling the produce for staggering the supply and reduction in yield.
(With agency inputs)
