Paddy procurement began at several grain markets across Haryana on Tuesday after the state government preponed the start of procurement from October 1. However, high moisture content in the crop emerged as a major hurdle on the first day.
Around 470 quintals of paddy had been procured at various grain markets in Karnal district till the filing of the report. Of this, 160 quintals was procured at Karnal city, 80 quintals at Indri, 65 quintals at Kunjpura and 165 quintals at Jundla, an official said.
Karnal Deputy Commissioner Dr Anand Kumar Sharma inspected the Karnal and Gharaunda grain markets to review arrangements and oversee the commencement of procurement. Assandh MLA Yogendra Rana also visited the Assandh grain market.
“The moisture content in the grain is high, due to which procurement could not be started at all the grain markets. The heavy rainfall that lashed the region on Monday contributed to the high moisture content and also delayed paddy harvesting by nearly a week,” an official said.
The official said arrivals were slow but were expected to pick up in the coming days.
“We have made all necessary arrangements for paddy procurement, and farmers will not face any difficulty. We appeal to farmers to bring their crop with the prescribed moisture content,” said Dr Sharma.
Meanwhile, farmers sought relaxation in the permissible moisture content. Bahadur Singh Mehla, spokesperson for the BKU (Sir Chhotu Ram), said rainfall had caused huge losses to farmers.
“We request the government to relax the paddy procurement norms related to moisture content,” he added.
Kurukshetra: Paddy procurement also began at grain markets in the district, with farmers urging the government to ensure timely lifting of the produce to prevent a glut-like situation.
At the Shahabad grain market, BKU (Charuni) spokesman Rakesh Bains said, “A huge quantity of paddy is lying in the grain markets. The procurement has started today and the government should ensure timely lifting so that the farmers receive their payments on time. The government should also resolve all the issues related to the rice millers and commission agents and accept their genuine demands to ensure a smooth procurement season. The farmers must be allowed to sell their produce without any restrictions.”
At the Thanesar grain market, former minister of state Subhash Sudha visited the market and directed market committee officials to ensure smooth procurement.
At the Ambala Cantonment grain market, around 550 quintals of paddy was procured on the first day. Recent rainfall has affected harvesting in the area. According to the Agriculture Department, no crop loss has been reported, though harvesting has been delayed by a couple of days.
Hisar: Some farmers brought their PR paddy produce to grain markets in Uklana and Barwala. However, procurement could not commence as the crop’s moisture content exceeded the prescribed limit. Meanwhile, Haryana PWD Minister Ranbir Gangwa visited several grain markets to inspect procurement arrangements and issued necessary directions to local officials to ensure smooth operations.
