The Central Government on Tuesday relaxed the specifications for wheat procurement in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh — relaxing the limit of shriveled and broken grains up to 18 percent, against six percent.
 
The decision came a day after the Punjab Cabinet had urged the Government of India (GOI) to relax the specifications for wheat for procurement in the current season, in view of the crop losses suffered by farmers due to unseasonal rains.

The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in a communication to the Punjab Government, said that the limit of shriveled and broken grains in the state of Punjab and Union Territory of Chandigarh is being relaxed up to 18 percent against the existing limit of six percent under uniform specifications “with one-fourth of one full value cut for every additional relaxation of two percent or part thereof”.

It stated that the State Government has to deduct an imposed value cut from the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat, which was fixed at Rs 2,125 per quintal while making payments to farmers in Punjab and Chandigarh.

The decision comes after Punjab sought a relaxation in uniform specifications of wheat for the Rabi marketing season 2023-24 due to heavy rains and strong winds in the state and Chandigarh. Notably, Punjab’s Food and Civil Supplies Department principal secretary Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, on April 6, had written a letter to the Union Government seeking relaxations in the specifications of norms for purchase of the crop.

In response, Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution’s Joint Secretary (Administration and Storage and Research) has conveyed the decision to Punjab’s Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Department’s secretary.  

As per the communique, the Centre has also exempted value cut on wheat having shriveled and broken grains up to six percent. “Beyond six percent and up to eight percent, a value cut of Rs 5.31 per quintal will be deducted on wheat. Similarly, a value cut of Rs 10.62 per quintal will be deducted on wheat having shriveled and broken grains above eight percent and up to 10 percent,” it read.

It further added a value cut of Rs 15.93 per quintal will be deducted on wheat having shriveled and broken grains above 10 percent and up to 12 percent. A value cut of Rs 21.25 per quintal will be deducted on wheat, having shriveled and broken grains above 12 percent and up to 14 percent and a value cut of Rs 26.56 per quintal will be deducted on wheat having shriveled and broken grains above 14 percent and up to 16 percent. A value cut of Rs 31.87 per quintal will be deducted on wheat having shriveled and broken grains above 16 percent and up to 18 percent.
 
In its communication, the Union Ministry also stated that the limit of lustreless wheat, containing up to 10 percent affected kernels, will be purchased without any value cut and above 10 percent up to 80 percent affected kernels will be purchased with one-fourth of one full value cut on a flat basis. A cut of Rs 5.31 per quintal on a flat basis will be deducted on wheat having lustre loss above 10 percent and up to 80 percent, it added.  

Both damaged and slightly damaged grain altogether shall not exceed six per cent and the wheat so procured shall be stacked and accounted for separately, the Centre stated.  It also stated that any deterioration of the quality of wheat stock procured under relaxed norms during storage shall be the sole responsibility of the governments of Punjab and Chandigarh (UT). Any financial or operational implications due to this relaxation will be the responsibility of the state, it added.

KHATTAR EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO UNION GOVT

After the wheat procurement norms were relaxed, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on behalf of the farmers of the state; for relaxation in the uniform specifications of wheat during procurement season 2023-24, in view of lustre loss or shriveled and broken grains in Rabi crops, especially wheat crop, due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms.

Khattar said that in view of the problems faced by the farmers, he spoke to the Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs over telephone; who assured that the government would relax the procurement norms for wheat. In this regard, a circular to this effect has been issued by the Central Government. He said that farming is such a business which always involves risk and the farmer remains in uncertainty until the crop reaches his house from the farms.

The Chief Minister said that coincidentally a similar time was witnessed in 2015, when unseasonal rains in the month of February had caused damage to the wheat crops. At that time, the state government had given a compensation of Rs 1,190 crore to the farmers and that too before May-June.  He said that for this year too, the work of Girdawari for crop loss is underway and the e-Fasal Kshatipurti portal is also open, where farmers can upload their crop loss information. The compensation will be given to the farmers after verification by the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department and the Revenue and Disaster Management Department; and this time also, full compensation will be provided to the farmers by May.

The Chief Minister said that the government is standing with the farmers at every step. Each grain of wheat will be procured at the rate of Rs 2125 per quintal and Haryana is the only state in the country where farmers are paid for their crop procurement within 48 to 72 hours.