CHANDIGARH:In wake of declining paddy arrivals in the mandis, the paddy procurement period has been modified, informed Mr. Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Punjab.
Giving details, the Minister said that earlier the paddy procurement during Kharif Marketing Season 2019-20 was slated for October 1 to December 15, 2019 but it has now been altered and the paddy procurement period would now culminate on November 30. However, the milling period remains the same, said he and added that Ministry of Food, Government of India has given due approval to the revision.
He further divulged that majority of the paddy arrivals have taken place, so much so that since past few days there has been no paddy arrival in 477 out of 1844 mandis in the State with meagre arrivals in others. Paddy procurement to the tune of 160.91 lakh metric tonne has been accomplished till November 19, said he with share of government purchases being 159.80 LMT and that of private millers being 111128 metric tonne. As per the 72 hours norm, 100% lifting of the purchased paddy has been achieved and payments worth Rs. 26946.94 crore have been transferred to the accounts of arthiyas/farmers by the government, he informed.
Reiterating the commitment of State Government to purchase the every grain in the market, the Minister appealed the farmers to bring their crop in the grain markets by November 30 so that they may avail the benefit of Minimum Support Price (MSP). He also urged the arthiyas to inform about the revision in procurement period to the farmers associated with them.
Pertinently, till November 19, PUNGRAIN has procured 6627321 tonnes, MARKFED 4090074 tonnes and PUNSUP procured 3279315 tonnes while Punjab State Warehousing Corporation procured 1764817 MT paddy. The Centre government agency FCI has procured 218492 MT paddy.