Busy civic election schedule seems to have led to less procurement of wheat this year so far as compared to the corresponding period last year.
Whereas different food procurement agencies have been able to procure 621.25 metric tone (mt) of wheat from different parts of Udham Singh Nagar till April 15 this year, they had procured 3840.500 mt of wheat during the corresponding period last year.
But the officials are of the view that since the foodgrain procurement season has just begun from April, the pace of wheat procurement would gather momentum in due course of time.
Out of the total 621.25 mt of wheat procured so far, the food and civic supply department and the cooperative department have procured 51.20 mt of wheat and 570.05 mt of wheat respectively, said Vipin Kumar, District Supply Officer, (DSO), Udham Singh Nagar.
This year the minimum support price has been fixed Rs 1350 per quintal of wheat and we appeal to the farmers to dispose off their produce at the Government run food procurement centres, added the official concerned.
It is to note that as many as 145 wheat procurement centres have been set up in different parts of Udhamsinghnagar this year .
Among others the state food supply department has set up eight food procurement centres, while the food corporation of India (FCI) has opened 14 wheat procurement centres and the cooperative department has opened as many as 96 centres.
Besides, as many as 27 wheat procurement centres have been set up by some other departments, said the officials concerned of the Udham Singh Nagar.
To help the farmers in getting their produce disposed off at the procurement centres properly and to ensure better coordination among different agencies engaged in this wheat procurement exercise, a control room has also been set up at the office of the DSO in Udham Singh Nagar. The phone and fax number of this control room is 05944-242458 and it will remain open between 10 am and 5 pm daily, said the officials concerned.
In a bid to address the grievances of the farmers, a complaint book has also been made available at these wheat procurement cenrtes, the officials concerned of the Udhamsinghnagar district administration stated.