Reviewing the wheat procurement operations, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday directed the state Food and Civil Supplies Department to facilitate the farmers and ensure that every single grain is procured within 24 hours of arrival in the mandis so that no farmer faces any discomfort.
He also directed the Department to expedite the pace of lifting. More than 60 percent of the crop had already arrived in the mandis. “The arrivals have peaked with more than 10 lakh MT arriving daily for the past three-four days and with the three to five percent anticipated increase in wheat production, the State was heading towards a record breaking purchase of more than 132 lakh MT,” said the spokesperson of the Food and Civil Supplies Department.
Spokesperson said that the Department had already made elaborate arrangements for the procurement of wheat through the State Procuring Agencies. Despite adverse weather conditions and untimely rains, the Department had, so far, procured 79.66 lakh MT in the State till April 29, said the spokesperson.
The Department highlighted that the state-wide capacity to lift wheat was limited to about 5.5 lakh MT in a day whereas the daily arrivals have been more than 10 lakh MT for the past few days. Consequently, certain mandis may be experiencing a glut like situation which is inevitable in every mandi and occurs for about six to seven days every year during the procurement season.