Farmers worried due to slow pace of paddy procurement in Punjab

16-Oct-2024 04:51 PM

Ludhiana. The concern and trouble of farmers has increased a lot due to slow pace of government procurement of paddy during the current Kharif marketing season in Punjab, the state which contributes the most rice to the central pool, and its not being lifted from the mandis on time.

Although the central government claims that all the necessary arrangements for paddy procurement in Punjab have already been completed, but the situation on the ground is not encouraging. Recently, farmers had blocked the roads and railways.

They were protesting against the slow procurement of paddy. Last Sunday, farmer organizations also protested in different parts of Punjab. The protest had a greater impact in Ludhiana.

There, roads were blocked in Samrala, Khanna, Kohra, Raikot and Doraha, Payal and Jagraon. It is worth mentioning that this time there has been a bumper production of paddy in Punjab and it is arriving in the mandis in large numbers.

There is a possibility of increase in paddy production due to some increase in area and improvement in yield rate due to favorable weather conditions.

The government has set a target of purchasing 185 lakh tons of paddy (equivalent to 124 lakh tons of rice) in Punjab which is almost equal to last year.

Usually after October 5, huge quantities of paddy start arriving at government procurement centers and its purchase is also done vigorously. But the situation worsens for some time. The procurement process will continue till November 30.