‘Over 2L MT of basmati lifted by pvt agencies’
Procurement agencies have lifted 2,24,260 metric tons (MT) of basmati while 9,570 metric tons (MT) of paddy reached the grain markets of the district. Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said this after a meeting with District Mandi Officer Amandeep Singh, District Food and Supply Officer Sartaj Singh, District Manager, Warehouse, Gagandeep Singh Randhawa, District Manager, Punjab State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (PUNSUP) Sukhwinderjit Singh and District Manager Maninder Singh. She claimed that adequate arrangements have been made in the markets to ensure smooth procurement of the crop.
The Deputy Commissioner said that if any farmer faces any problem in the district, he can personally come to the DC office in Amritsar from 9:30 am to 10 am in the morning or contact through their mobile phones. He said there is no shortage of sacks in the grain markets and special officials have been deployed in each market for the convenience of farmers. She said that till now, 2,24,260 MT of basmati has arrived in the district and the entire basmati has been purchased by the private agencies concerned. The DC further informed that 9,570 metric tons of paddy has arrived in the markets out of which 8,185 MT of paddy has been purchased by private and government agencies and it has been ensured that payment for the purchase of paddy is made to the farmers within 24 hours.
Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said that for government procurement, it is important that farmers do not bring paddy with more than 17 per cent moisture to the grain market. “Bring dry crop to the market,” she said. The DC directed the mandi officials to check the moisture in paddy at the gate of the mandis and if the paddy comes with more than 17 per cent moisture content, then it should not be allowed to enter the mandis. She said that on the advice of combine owners, now combine harvesters will be able to harvest paddy from 10 am to 7 pm.
District Market Officer Amandeep Singh said that this time, 50 procurement centres have been established in the district where government agencies are procuring the crop. He said that the MSP on paddy has been fixed at Rs 2,320 per quintal for A-category crop. He appealed to the farmers not to bring wet paddy to the market. Therefore, it is important that the combines are not operated early in the morning or late in the evening and only dry paddy is harvested.
