National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has released Rs1,000 crore to Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC for purchase of wheat during ongoing Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2016-17.
A spokesman of NABARD’s Haryana Regional office said that the loan would help the corporation for prompt payment of wheat purchased from farmers in various mandis (grain markets) or outlets in the State in line with the Government’s resolve to pay the farmers’ dues at the earliest. He said that the State Food and Supplies Department, expects arrival of around 75 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during the current season (RMS 2016-17). The state is one of the major contributors towards Central pool of foodgrains.
During 2015-16 Kharif Marketing Season, NABARD had also disbursed Rs500 crore to HSWC for paddy procurement.
He said that the objective of foodgrains procurement by Government Agencies is to ensure that farmers get remunerative price for their produce and do not have to resort to distress sale and to build up buffer stocks of foodgrains to ensure food grain security.
The State Government has authorised five agencies namely Food and Supplies Department, HAFED, Haryana Agro Industries Corporation (HAIC), Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC) to procure wheat at Minimum Support Price during Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2016-17, said the spokesman.
About 59.12 lakh Metric Tonnes (MT) of wheat has so far arrived in mandis of Haryana during the ongoing procurement season. Out of the total arrival, 59,12,350 MT of wheat has been purchased by the government procurement agencies at Minimum Support Price.