Paddy harvest delayed, farmers to intensify protest for relaxation of procurement norms
BATHINDA: There has been an almost 25% dip in the quantity of paddy purchased (99 lakh tonne) till October 31 this year in the state against 135 lakh tonne over the corresponding period last year. The reason is delayed harvesting that resulted due to late sowing (extended to June 20 from June 15 last year) and abnormal weather conditions with heavy September rain. The total yield, last year, was 179 lakh tonne.
The sowing was delayed to reduce the dependency on ground water and to check the depletion of ground water. Farmers claim that the delayed harvesting has also meant that their harvested crop has moisture content that is higher than the permissible 17% limit and thus they have to settle for prices that are lower than the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Government agencies procure paddy with up to 17% moisture content at an MSP of ₹1,770 per quintal dis and are being harassed for no fault of theirs if they have more moisture content in paddy. We had expressed apprehension that late sowing will result in higher moisture content We Shingara Singh, district president of Bharatiya Kisan Union BKU (Ekta-Ugrahan). He added that the delayed harvest of paddy would also mean that farmers would not be able to sow wheat sidered the ideal period for the crop.
3-HOUR BLOCKADE OF ROADS ON NOVEMBER 5
Shingara added that to protest against the situation and to demand that the upper limit for moisture content in paddy be raised to 24% from 17%, seven farm organisations will block roads for three hours across the state on November 5. “If our demands are not met, we will step up the agitation,” he added.
Farmers under the banner of BKU (Ekta–Sidhupur) continued their protest by blocking the Maur–Rampura Phul road at Mandi Kalan village on second day on Thursday, seeking that the upper limit of moisture content be raised. “As things stand now, wheat sowing will be delayed by about one week. This will impact the wheat yield also,” said Mann.
Food Corporation of India (FCI) district manager Ashish Tripathi said no paddy crop was being rejected. “The higher moisture content results only in crop with higher moisture is purchased after a few days, when it dries up,” he said.
Agriculture department director JS Bains said the harvest had been delayed due to abnormal weather conditions. “Winter has arrived early. There were untimely rains in the last week of September and the weather remained cloudy. This delayed the maturing of paddy. Had the weather been normal, the crop would have matured in time,” he said, adding that delay was mostly with the PUSA 44 variety, which is sown on 40% area under the paddy crop and the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) had not recommended it.
He added, “The decision to delay sowing by five days to save ground water was taken after PAU conducted trials. PAU had suggested delaying paddy sowing till June 25, but the state government gave the date of June 20 only. Harvest has been delayed by 4-5 days only. Late sowing varieties of wheat can be used in areas where its sowing