Tardy paddy lifting irks arhtiyas, farmers in Panipat dist

Although the grain markets are clogged with the procured paddy bags in Panipat district, their tardy lifting has irked arhtiyas and farmers in the district.

Devender Kuhar, subject matter specialist, Agriculture Department, said paddy had been sown in 1.80 lakh acres in Panipat district, while it was sown in 2.25 lakh acres in Sonepat district. A total of 96 per cent paddy crop is of only basmati varieties in Sonepat. Farmers in Panipat and Sonepat had sown maximum basmati varieties and the harvesting of the basmati varieties would pick pace after Diwali, Kuhar said.

Meanwhile, the lifting is too slow in the district’s grain markets and heaps of procured paddy bags can be seen in all grain markets. The arrival of paddy is in full pace in all grain markets in the district, but the lifting of the procured bags is yet to gather pace.

As per the sources, almost 50 per cent yield had arrived in the grain markets in the district so far, but the tardy lifting from grain markets had increased the problems of farmers as well as of arhtiyas in the district.

Baljeet Singh, president, Samalkha grain market, said approximately 50 per cent paddy crop had reached the grain market, but the lifting was very poor this time. Even millers had not begun lifting so far, he said.

After the procurement of the paddy, it has been kept under the shed by the agencies. But, this paddy will get dry day by day with time, and its weight would get less and the arhtiyas had to bear this weight loss, Baljeet Singh added.

As many as 16,000 procured paddy bags were lying in the grain market, but lifting is at a slow speed, he said.

Dalip Rawal, president, Bapoli grain market, said Hafed had procured around 10,000 bags of PR paddy crop 10 days ago, but it had not been lifted so far. The procurement and lifting both are on halt for the last 10 days, he alleged.

The paddy has started drying and approximately 4-5 kg weight loss per quintal had occurred so far due to the non-lifting of the procured paddy, he said.

Even, the farmers’ payment can’t be released before the lifting of the procured paddy. Now, the farmers were pressurising for their payments as they had to purchase wheat seed and urea for the next wheat crop, he said.

Dharambir Singh Malik, district president, Haryana Arhtiyas Association, said the lifting was very poor in all grain markets in the district and around 10,000 bags were lying in the Panipat grain market.

No solution about the lifting and procurement of the farmers’ produce had been provided, he said.