The farmers getting better prices for their produce in the open markets might land the Government in trouble as far as its wheat procurement target this year is concerned. The fact is that following the comparatively low production of wheat this Rabi season, the prices of good quality wheat has gone up to Rs1,600 per quintal in the open market in this region.
But the minimum support price that the Government has offered this season is Rs1,450 per quintal. Therefore, the farmers are rushing to the open markets to dispose off their produce. The officials concerned informed that about 150 wheat procurement centres have been set up across Kumaon division.
Out of them, 134 wheat procurement centres have been set up in different parts of Udham Singh Nagar district alone this year, setting a target of procuring 1.35 lakh metric tonne (mt) of wheat from the district this season. Out of these, 134 wheat procurement centres, the State food supply department and the cooperative department have set up nine and 98 wheat procurement centres respectively. Besides, other departments set up 27 such centres across this Terai district of Uttarakhand.
However, keeping in view the low production of wheat and, more importantly, the better wheat prices being offered by the traders in the open markets, most of the wheat procurement centres even in this Terai belt of Uttarakhand are wearing deserted look. It is thus uncertain whether the district administration Udham Singh Nagar will be able to meet the target of collecting 1.35 mt of wheat this season. Mention worthy, Udham Singh Nagar, Nainital and Champawat districts are the major wheat producing districts in the Kumaon division.
Whereas a few wheat procurement centres in Udham Singh Nagar have been able to procure a fair amount of wheat from the farmers, the wheat procurement scenario in Nainital and Champwat districts is bleak, the officials said.