In wake of declining paddy arrivals in the mandis, Punjab Government on Wednesday modified the paddy procurement period.
Informing, the state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu 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, he said adding that the Union Ministry of Food has given due approval to the revision.
Ashu said 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 1,844 mandis in the State with meager arrivals in others.
Paddy procurement to the tune of 160.91 lakh metric tonnes has been accomplished till November 19, he said adding that with share of Government purchases being 159.80 LMT and that of private millers being 1,11,128 metric tonne.
As per the 72 hours norm, 100 per cent lifting of the purchased paddy has been achieved and payments worth Rs 26,946.94 crore have been transferred to the accounts of arhtiyas or farmers by the Government, he informed.
Reiterating the State Government’s commitment to purchase 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 MSP.