The paddy procurement season in the state, which usually starts from October 1, is likely to be delayed as majority of rice millers are not willing to get themselves registered for custom-milled rice (CMR) operations. In paddy-growing districts, despite the August 25 deadline, only a couple of millers got themselves registered.
Associations of millers and dealers have already announced a boycott of procurement and CMR operations over unresolved issues related to the previous season and provisions of the new CMR policy.
Under the new policy, millers are required to furnish a fixed deposit (FD) of Rs 50 lakh, against Rs 10 lakh earlier on the allotment of 4,000 MT paddy. Geo-fencing of mills has also been made mandatory to enable real-time tracking of vehicles involved in lifting operations.
“No miller has registered for CMR operations so far in Karnal district. Geo-fencing of all mills is mandatory. The process will be online this time and will be monitored by the headquarters,” said Mukesh Kumar, DFSC, Karnal.
However, farmers’ unions have asked the government to start procurement from September 15.
The Haryana Rice Millers and Dealers Association, led by its chairman Jewel Singla, has opposed the registration process, saying that around 6 to 6.5 lakh metric tonnes of CMR is lying in mills across the state due to space constraints and acceptance issues by the FCI.
“We are helpless as a huge quantity of processed rice has been lying in the mills and the FCI is not accepting it,” Singla said, adding that millers fear of being placed on the government’s defaulter list due to non-acceptance of stock.
Saurabh Gupta, president of Karnal Rice Millers and Dealers Association, said payments for milling and transportation were also pending.
