On the opening day of the 2022-23 kharif marketing season, Punjab grain markets saw arrival of 29,000 tonnes of paddy of which 12,000 tonnes was purchased. Of the total crop procured, 66% was purchased by private players, said officials.
Patiala district recorded the maximum arrival with more than 5,000 tonnes of paddy reaching the mandis. According to the Punjab Mandi Board data, private players bought 8,000 tonnes of paddy whereas the government agencies procured the remaining 4,000 tonnes. About 17,000 tonnes of paddy remained unsold on the first day of the official purchase of the major kharif crop.
Of 22 districts, eight, including Bathinda, Pathankot and Sangrur, did not report any arrival on Saturday. Patiala, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur and Mohali districts were the key districts to witness the crop arrival.
The Centre has allowed 17% moisture in the paddy crop as the state is expected to produce 191 lakh tonnes of parmal rice this season. Punjab food and civil supplies department officials said that the moisture in the crop reaching grain markets was well within the permissible norms.
“The state government has made elaborated arrangements for the procurement and the staff of the food department and four procurement agencies has reached the mandis. Authorities are on the job to ensure availability of gunny bags,” said a senior officer of the Punjab food and civil supplies department.
Official said the Mandi Board has notified more than 1,800 purchase centres across the state. In order to avoid a glut-like situation in the mandis, temporary purchase centres are being identified for the procurement of paddy. “The state authorities have decided that unlike the previous year, no temporary mandi would be established in any rice sheller. It has been done ensure to check malpractice of recycling of paddy,” said Bathinda district mandi officer Rajnish Goel.
The environmentally hazardous practise of burning of paddy stubble started in the south Malwa region from Saturday. According to database of the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB), the region witnessed three incidents of crop residue burning. While two cases were reported in Ferozepur one such incident was detected in Muktsar.
A total of 45 farm fire incidents were reported across the state of Saturday, maximum 39 from Amritsar. The state has already reported 192 stubble burning cases even as the paddy harvesting has yet to gain momentum.
According to the state agriculture authorities, paddy harvesting in Punjab’s southwest district start later than rest of the state. “Harvesting of paddy in Bathinda, Fazilka, Ferozepur and other adjoining districts begin after October 10. But due to spells of rain, harvesting may get delayed by another five days. Authorities have made elaborated plans to sensitise farmers against stubble burning,” said an official of the state agriculture department.
