Farmers worried over tardy lifting of wheat in mandis, glut and shortage of gunny bags to be blamed?
Punjab’s wheat harvest has surged, but slow lifting from mandis has left farmers struggling. Despite record procurement, space shortages and delays—blamed on a glut and logistical constraints—have disrupted unloading. Farmers fear rain damage in makeshift yards. Officials deny gunny bag shortages, citing early arrivals due to mechanisation. Efforts are underway to expedite lifting and maintain payment timelines.
Patiala: The tardy lifting of wheat in the mandis of Punjab has left farmers in the lurch. The glut in the grain markets and the insufficient supply of gunny bags are being blamed for the crisis.
About 50.17 LMT of wheat has arrived in the markets so far this year, more than double of what it was last year (24.38 LMT). About 46.09 LMT of the crop has also been procured, more than double of last year’s 20.25 LMT. However, the lifting of grains is progressing rather slowly with only 13.97 LMT of the procured crops transported thus far. Though it is a marked improvement from last year’s 4.22 LMT, lifting this time has not kept pace with procurement.
At some places, farmers claimed, wheat could not be unloaded because of poor lifting, not leaving room for more crops to be kept in the mandis.
Ujagar Singh, a farmer from Nadampur village in Sangrur district, said, “The mandis do not have enough space. Many of us had to wait more than three days to unload our wheat produce, following which procurement was done.”
The farmers fear keeping their produce at temporary yards amid reports of crop damage in the recent rains. In such makeshift markets, the produce is kept in the open and no tarpaulins are provided, they said.
Ujagar Singh, another farmer, said he could sell his produce only four days after he brought it to the mandi.
An official requesting anoymity said, “About 12 crore more gunny bags are supposed to be supplied in the next 15 days to lift 125 LMT of wheat, which are expected to arrive in the markets. Twelve crore bags have already been sent. Even if all the truckers in Punjab are roped in, the supply will be delayed, thereby affecting the lifting of grains.”
However, state food supply director, Varinder Kumar, said, “There is no shortage of gunny bags. But there is a glut in the grain markets because of good mechanisation and also the western disturbances, which has brought forward the arrivals this year compared to last. In a single day alone on Monday, about 11 LMT of wheat yield was brought to the grain markets.”
He added, “The entire staff of the food supply department is doing its best to ensure smooth procurement and lifting. There is no issue of lack of space as there are 1,864 permanent grain markets and 1,010 temporary yards for unloading the grains. Last year, the number of temporary yards was 864. We are ensuring the procurement of wheat yield within 24 hours of arrival, and the farmers are getting their payments within 72 hours of purchase.”
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Source : The Times Of India
