The Centre has postponed procurement of paddy in Punjab and Haryana to October 11, due to recent heavy rainfall, the Food Ministry said on Thursday.
The original procurement date of paddy at minimum support prices (MSP) for the 2021-2022 kharif marketing season was October 1 in Punjab. It was officially due to have started on September 25 in Haryana.
“Due to recent heavy downpour in the States of Punjab and Haryana, the maturity of paddy has been delayed and the moisture content in the fresh arrival at present is beyond the permissible limit,” the Food Ministry said in a letter to both State governments, citing information from the Food Corporation of India. “Therefore, keeping in view the interest of farmers and to avoid any inconvenience to them, it has been decided that the procurement of paddy under MSP would commence from October 11, 2021 in Punjab and Haryana so as to accept paddy stock as per FAQ specifications,” it added.
The States were asked to advise their agencies to dry the paddy which has already arrived and ensure that any further produce is brought to the mandi only after proper drying.
This comes against the backdrop of several farm unions protesting against the more stringent specifications issued this year for the government’s purchase of paddy. The permissible limits for moisture content, foreign matter, and discoloured, sprouted or damaged grains have all been lowered this year.
