Bathinda: In unusual steps, the Government Government has delayed the beginning of the procurement of rice for the marketing season of Kharif 2021-22 for 10 days in Punjab and Haryana.
The center has blamed “bad weather” for delays, which can increase moisture content in plants.
Notifications issued on Thursday night, just hours before the official procurement season will begin.
Previously, procurement would begin on October 1 and the center had fully responded to the request of the Punjab government to allow the procurement of up to 191 lakh metric tons of rice.
In communication on Thursday for food, civilian inventories and the Secretary of Punjab and Haryana consumer affairs, the Ministry of the Ministers of the consumer writes that since the maturity of rice has been postponed because the water content outside the boundary is permitted, it has been decided that the procurement of Paddy Under MSP will start from 11 October in Punjab and Haryana to receive rice stock according to FAQ specifications.
The center claims that this step is in “the best interests of farmers” and to avoid discomfort for them.
The Punjab government and agricultural groups have loudly criticized the decision.
Minister Punjab Chararjit Singh Channi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and direct the affairs of consumers, food, and public distribution services not to delay procurement because everything was completed and the state government was ready to start operations from Friday.
Agricultural Organization BKU EKTA Ugrahan Secretary General Sukhdev Singh King Kalan said the Center was just trying to harass farmers.
“Now when farmers want to bring crops to Mandis, the central government has suspended only to teach them to be a farmer of the lesson.
We will not tolerate it because farmers have suffered losses in cotton plants and do not want it in rice too,” he said.