Tardy lifting, delayed payments cause inconvenience to farmers in Ambala

With only about 45 per cent of paddy stock lifted from grain markets in Ambala by Saturday evening, farmers are facing inconvenience due to slow lifting and delayed payments for their produce.

According to data, over 3.78 lakh MT of paddy has arrived at 15 grain markets and procurement centres in Ambala district, with 3.38 lakh MT purchased by procurement agencies as of Saturday. However, only 45 per cent of the procured stock has been lifted from the markets.

The Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs Department purchased 1.67 lakh MT, lifting 45.21 per cent, HAFED bought 1.56 lakh MT, lifting 44.27 per cent, and the Haryana State Warehousing Corporation procured 9,067 MT, lifting 41.50 per cent. Although nearly 90 per cent of payments for lifted stock have been cleared, payments for procurement stand at just 40 per cent.

Rakesh Bains, spokesman of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni), expressed frustration, saying, “Poor lifting has been a major issue, preventing farmers from receiving timely payments. Farmers need money to pay labourers and prepare for the next crop. With elections over, officials should now focus on lifting.”

Bains emphasised that farmers should be paid after procurement, not lifting, as lifting is the responsibility of the agencies. “The farmers have done their job by providing the paddy. We’ve raised this issue with HAFED and requested improvements in the lifting process,” he added.

Suresh Kauth, president of Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union, who visited the Ambala City grain market, said, “The grain markets are choked, leaving no space to unload paddy. Payment delays persist as they are tied to the lifting process.” Kauth also reminded Chief Minister Nayab Saini of his promise to procure every grain at the MSP, raising concerns over cuts being imposed due to moisture and quality issues. “If the lifting process doesn’t improve, farmers may be forced to call for an agitation,” he warned.

Duni Chand, patron of the Haryana State Arthiya Association, pointed out the poor lifting’s widespread impact. “Farmers and commission agents are struggling due to lack of space. The government should have resolved issues with rice millers before the season started. Agencies must improve lifting to free up space for fresh arrivals.”

Meanwhile, DFSC Ambala Apar Tiwari stated, “Payments of around Rs 309 crore have been cleared, covering almost 90 per cent of lifted stocks. Lifting has improved, and we expect it to further pick up as arrivals decline next week.”