Paddy arrival picks pace in Haryana, no procurement yet

KARNAL: Even as the arrival of paddy in mandis is gaining momentum, the Haryana government agencies have not started procurement yet.

As per officials associated with the procurement, the government had issued instructions to advance the procurement to September 25 but following the recent rains, Haryana has now decided to start procurement from October 1.

Deputy chief minister Dushyant Chautala, who also holds the portfolio of food, supplies and consumer affairs department, in a statement on August 27 had announced that procurement of paddy will start from September 25, and of bajra from October 1.The delay in procurement is causing problems for farmers and arhtiyas as they said the harvest of early varieties of the Parmal paddy is on its peak and huge stock of unsold paddy is lying in mandis for past few days.“following reports that procurement will start from September 25, I had harvested 14 acre Parmal paddy and 110 quintal is now lying in the mandi for past one week,” said farmer Manish Kumar, of Kurukshetra’s

Gurhi village.

“As per the government’s schedule, the transplantation began on June 15 and most varieties take three months in harvesting. Thus, the government should have started procurement from September 15,” said farm leader Ratan Mann.

He said around 50% paddy is ready to harvest but the government seems reluctant to start procurement.

As per government figures, this year over 40% area of paddy (5.84 lakh hectare of total 13.64 lakh hectare) is under Parmal varieties. Commission agents said delay in procurement and lifting will create a glut situation in the state mandis.“there is no procurement for the next three days yet most space in the mandis is already occupied and paddy arrival is picking pace with each passing day,” said commission agent Sohan Lal, of Kurukshetra’s Ladwa grain market. Additional chief secretary, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department, Haryana Anurag Rastogi confirmed that the government agencies will start paddy procurement in state from October 1 and this year, the government has set a target to procure 60 lakh MT.