Mumbai, 28 March (Commoditiescontrol):Punjab's food and civil supplies department has decided to approach the Centre seeking relaxation in the quality of wheat arriving in the state mandis for procurement. The state is set to begin procurement on April 1. The recent rainfall, hailstorm and high-velocity winds have damaged 40% of the ready-to-harvest crop, sown over 34.90 lakh hectares in the state.
The damage to the crop has led to concerns about the quality of grain. As a result, the state government is seeking relaxation from the Centre on the permissible limits for discoloured, damaged, faded, broken and foreign matter content. Other wheat-growing states like Madhya Pradesh have already written to the Centre for similar relaxations.
According to sources in the food department, the state government will write to the Union food and public distribution ministry after receiving a report from the agriculture department. After receiving a request from the state, the Union ministry sends a team of scientists to assess the loss.
The damage to the crop due to weather vagaries is not new, as this is the second consecutive rabi season when the crop has been hit. In the last season (2022), against an estimated arrival of 151 lakh tonnes of wheat in the state mandis, only 96 lakh tonnes were procured, leading to heavy losses for the farmers.
With procurement set to begin soon, the state government is taking all necessary measures to ensure the farmers get a fair price for their produce.
However, the damage to the crop has led to concerns about the grain quality, and the state is seeking relaxation from the Centre on the permissible limits to ease the burden on the farmers. The situation will be closely monitored, and further updates will be provided as the procurement process begins.
(By Commoditiescontrol Bureau; +91-9820130172)
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