Rain, hailstorm worsen wheat pangs for farmers
The rainfall accompanied by hailstorm that lashed parts of the district on Tuesday and Wednesday is certain to worsen the glut of wheat at grain markets in the district.
The increased moisture content in the procured wheat is expected to delay the lifting. Though only selected pockets of the district received rainfall enough to delay the lifting process, farmers and arhtiyas are concerned over showers expected in the coming days.
The mandis in the district are already witnessing a glut-like situation at the grain markets due to the early arrival of the harvested crop and a shortage of labour force, which is more common during the paddy season. Due to a gap in the procurement of grains and transportation of wheat bags, the grain markets in the district are overflowing while the farmers are forced to dump their crop for lifting on approach roads of the mandis.
While the state government has taken various measures to streamline and fast-track the transportation process, hailstorm in the Devigarh area on Tuesday and rainfall at various places across the district on Wednesday are set to play a spoilsport.
Commission agents at the Devigarh grain market said they will have to wait for the wheat bags to dry. “Too much rain poses a threat of damage to the procured wheat, which will have to be borne by the commission agents,” an arhtiya at New Grain Market said.
A commission agent at the Devigarh grain market said the hailstorm that occurred on Tuesday would delay the lifting process. But Soni Garg, a commission agent at Mehmadpur grain market, said the area did not receive much rainfall, so the wheat bags were safe.
Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said the lifting of the purchased wheat is going on at a fast pace. “Around 30,000 metric tonne (MT) of wheat is being lifted from the grain markets daily. The agencies concerned today lifted 35,000 MT of wheat,” Sawhney said.
The DC also held a meeting with all stakeholder departments and agencies and visited the Patiala grain market and Private Entrepreneur Guarantee Scheme (PEG) godowns at Lang village and reviewed the procurement process.
She held a meeting with the officials of the Food Corporation of India to resolve the issues pertaining to direct delivery and storage at PEG godowns.
Sawhney said the district had recorded the highest wheat arrival across the state. “Till last evening, 6 lakh 39,349 MT of wheat had arrived in the district. Of this, 6 lakh 29,341 MT wheat has been purchased and payments amounting to Rs 1,025.74 crore have been made to the farmers,” she said.
Recommended for you
