Inclement weather hits wheat procurement, lifting

In the wake of inclement weather conditions, a plethora of problems face farmers and the field staff of purchasing agencies alike. While there are complaints of excessive moisture content and lack of lustre in the wheat grain, lifting and procurement, on the other hand, is badly hit due to untimely rain.

In the wake of inclement weather conditions, a plethora of problems face farmers and the field staff of purchasing agencies alike. While there are complaints of excessive moisture content and lack of lustre in the wheat grain, lifting and procurement, on the other hand, is badly hit due to untimely rain.

HT Image

Field officials of several purchasing agencies are feeling the heat owing to bad weather, as their seniors were pulling them up for slow purchasing and lifting.

Vidhu Shekhar Bhardwaj, one of the field employees and vice-president of food grains agencies employees union, said wheat grain had undergone maximum damage this season.

He said that there was moisture content up to 16% in the wheat against the permissible limit of 12%. Also, he said, the grain lacked lusture.

"About 40% of purchased wheat lack lustre and it would not be possible to store the grain for many days as it will rot. We have informed the higher authorities about lustre loss, but we have been asked to continue procurement. Later, our seniors will blame us for rotten wheat," he complained.

He said that authorities had failed to make proper arrangements for wheat procurement and lifting. "Authorities only give orders from their air-conditioned rooms, overlooking the ground realities. The field employees are under pressure from management and farmers' side," he said.

Around 9.68 lakh metric tonnes of wheat has been procured across the state.