Nitin Jain
Ludhiana, October 11
Even 12 days after it was officially started, the procurement of paddy was yet to pick up pace in Ludhiana district.
COMMITTED TO BUY EVERY GRAIN
We are committed to purchase each and every grain of paddy arriving at the mandis by ensuring smooth and hassle-free procurement, lifting, and timely payment to the farmers. The district administration is on the job to facilitate the peasants during the ongoing procurement process. — SURABHI MALIK, DEPUTY COMMISSIONER
Reason: The harvesting of the paddy crop has been delayed due to the spoilsport played by the dwarfing disease caused by the southern rice black streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) and recent heavy rainfall.
With only seven per cent of the total cultivated rice in the state’s biggest and largest district, in terms of area and population, harvested so far, as many as 91,431 tonnes of paddy has arrived in Ludhiana’s 13 purchase centres, of which 87,865 tonnes were purchased, which accounted for 96.1 per cent of the total arrival.
While the four state government agencies lead the charge by procuring 87,741 tonnes of paddy, which was 99.86 per cent of the total purchase so far, the private agencies bought only 124 tonnes of the foodgrain. The Centre’s Food Corporation of India (FCI) was yet to open its account in the district.
Besides 91,431 tonnes of parmal rice, which was being purchased by the government agencies at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,060 per quintal, 6,045 tonnes of basmati was also received and purchased by the private agencies at the maximum price of Rs 3,430 per quintal and minimum of Rs 2,740 per quintal till date.
The Deputy Commissioner, Surabhi Malik, who was monitoring the paddy purchase in the district on a daily basis, told The Tribune here on Tuesday that the procurement of rice was undergoing in a smooth and hassle-free manner at all 13 grain markets across Ludhiana.
She said all arrangements were in place to facilitate the farmers arriving with their paddy crop at all mandis by ensuring the swift procurement, lifting, and payment of their foodgrain.
Divulging the procurement figures, the Additional Deputy Commissioner (General), Rahul Chaba, said that Khanna, which was Asia’s biggest grain market, was at the top with the arrival and procurement of over one-third of the district’s total stock so far.
The mandi-wise data showed that the maximum of 34,750 tonnes of paddy has arrived of which 34,432 tonnes has been purchased in Khanna, followed by 22,146 tonnes arrival and 22,131 tonnes procurement in Machhiwara, 14,848 tonnes arrival and 14,472 tonnes purchase in Samrala, 4,151 tonnes arrival and 3,827 tonnes procurement in Mullanpur Dakha, 3,113 tonnes arrival and 2,891 tonnes purchase in Jagraon, 2,947 tonnes arrival and 2,782 tonnes procurement in Doraha, 2,606 tonnes arrival and 2,349 tonnes purchase in Sahnewal, 2,435 tonnes arrival and 2,265 tonnes purchase in Ludhiana city, 1,216 tonnes arrival and 1,143 tonnes procurement in Raikot, 977 tonnes arrival and 646 tonnes purchase in Kila Raipur, 891 tonnes arrival and 356 tonnes procurement in Maloud, 711 tonnes arrival and 234 tonnes purchase in Sidhwan Bet, and Hathur grain market has received the minimum of 641 tonnes of paddy of which 336 tonnes was procured till Tuesday.
The ADC (General) said that of the total procured 87,865 tonnes of paddy, 46,334 tonnes, which accounted for 52.73 per cent of the total purchase, has been lifted from the grain markets while the remaining 41,530 tonnes of purchased foodgrain was in the process of being lifted.
Pungrain has procured the maximum of 33,991 tonnes of paddy, followed by Markfed 24,330 tonnes, Punsup 17,401 tonnes, and Warehousing Corporation has purchased 12,109 tonnes of parmal rice till this evening, he said.
Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Amanjit Singh said paddy was cultivated over 2,58,600 hectares in Ludhiana district, the maximum in the state, of which 2,48,253 hectares was non-basmati (parmal), 7,550 hectares was basmati, and 2,797 hectares was cultivated under the state government’s flagship direct seeding of rice (DSR), in which seeds are sown in the field rather than by transplanting seedlings from the nursery.
He claimed that though the dwarfing disease and the heavy rainfall during the last week of September had impacted the standing paddy crop, the overall weather conditions, environment, quality and upkeep of the crop was also responsible for the delayed harvesting and decline in yield.
