Slow wheat lifting leaves Hoshiarpur farmers worried

HOS HI A RP UR: DESPITE tall claims by the district administration, lifting of wheat from the grain markets has not picked pace, resulting in a glut- like situation.

The main grain market on the Phagwara road is bursting with all entry points choked. There is little space for farmers to park their trolleys and unload the produce. Buyers and the labourers are also finding it hard to move around. The shortage of gunny bags and transportations has hit the procurement process.

Farmers as well as the commission agents are worried that if it rains, the unlifted stock will be ruined. Finding no space, farmers are offloading their stocks on the road. Even small mandis are overflowing with wheat bags.

A farmer Sukhdev Singh said,”the annual procurement season is fixed, so the government should make adequate arrangements beforehand but every year, we face the same problem due to mismanagement.” “Two days ago, we met the deputy commissioner who arranged supply of gunny bags but things are back to square one”, said a commission agent requesting anonymity.

Mandi president Sudhir Sood said, “Grains worth Rs 80 to 90 crore are lying in the open.if it rains in the coming days, it is going to cause a huge loss to farmers and arhtiyas”, he said. He added that the government should also relax norms regarding use of old gunny bags.

Commission agents said due to unseasonal rains, wheat grains have already lost their lustre. “Once the crop is purchased, it is the responsibility of buying agency to take care of the stock”, the agents said. By Monday evening, 2.43 lakh metric tonnes of wheat had arrived in the mandis. The administration claimed that 90% of the stock was procured by Pungrain, Markfed, PUNSUP, Punjab State Warehousing Corporation, Punjab Agro, FCI.

However, a press release from the office of the DC stated that daily lifting of at least three to four thousand metric tonnes of wheat will be ensured.