Muktsar sees 22% rise in wheat arrivals at mandis

Archit Watts

Muktsar, May 26

Despite the fact that rains and hailstorms damaged the wheat grain in some villages in the district in March, there has been a marked increase in the arrival of wheat at mandis in the district this year.

The total arrival of wheat last year was estimated to be 7,08,758 MT in the district. This year, 8,64,149 MT of wheat has arrived at the district mandis. It marks an increase of 1,55,391 MT, which amounts to nearly 22 per cent. Notably, the wheat procurement season came to an end on Thursday. Various farmers and agriculture experts have stated that with the exception of a few villages, there has been an overall increase in wheat arrival in the district.

Muktsar District Mandi Officer Gaurav Garg said, “The arrival of wheat has increased nearly 22 per cent this year as compared to the last year.”

Muktsar Chief Agriculture Officer Gurpreet Singh said, “We have done crop-cutting experiments in 144 plots selected at random, and the average wheat yield remains 4,690-kg per hectare this season. Last year, similar crop-cutting experiments were undertaken, and the average wheat yield had remained 4,527-kg per hectare. Due to this increase in the yield, there has been a rise in the total arrival of wheat.”

Ranjit Singh, a farmer leader, noted, “Overall, the weather remained favourable this season. So, there has been a rise in the per-acre wheat yield. The per-acre wheat yield would have been even higher if it was not for the issue of waterlogging in some villages.”