Paddy growers caught in a maze of slow procurement

With farm unions, arhtiyas and millers announcing the strike due to non-procurement and lifting of paddy from grain markets, farmers whose crop has been harvested are caught in a maze.

Left with no other option, farmers end up in calling their counterparts a number of times in a day to know about the status of purchase and lifting in mandis.

Due to space crunch in the main grain market here, paddy produce can be seen lying in front of the offices of commission agents, often spread out in the open for drying up moisture content.

In Maqsuda grain market, paddy crop can be seen lying near garbage. While some farmers have delayed harvesting, others have started stocking the crop in the fields itself.

Nirmal Singh of Sabowal village said, “It has happened for the first time. Where should we keep our produce?”

Bhupinder Singh from Sidhupur village said farmers were in regular touch with each other. “Nothing is happening in Shahkot mandi. Arhtiyas and millers are on the strike,” he said.

Kashmiri Lal, chief of the Arhtiya Association, said, “I haven’t seen such a situation in several decades. Due to the lack of space, farmers have been forced to keep harvested crop in the fields.”