look news india
The arrival of wheat has started in the markets of Punjab. Under normal circumstances, procurement of this major Rabi crop also starts from 1st April, but at present due to cold weather and high moisture content in wheat, this is not possible in Khanna, Asia's biggest market. Buyers have not started coming to the markets yet. There should be no laxity at the government level in the purchase and maintenance of the produce of the farmers who have already sown wheat and have now come to the market with the crop.
For the last few years, the weather is taking different forms these days. This time also, due to weather disturbances, meteorologists have predicted rain in Punjab on Sunday and Monday i.e. 14 and 15 April. This can be a matter of great concern for farmers. If the wheat lying on the banks of the markets gets wet, not only the farmers but the government will also have to face many problems.
At present, wheat is being dried in the fields and experts are now advising farmers to harvest their crops between 10 am to 7 pm to protect them from frost. Only crops with moisture content up to 12 percent will be purchased.
If the meteorological department's forecast turns out to be correct and it rains, the situation in the markets will worsen. Official claims are being made that Punjab's Food and Civil Supplies Department, Markfed, Pansup, Raj Gudam Nigam, Pangrain and the Central Government's Food Corporation of India (FCI) are fully prepared to purchase wheat. Government procurement of wheat will continue till May 31.
This time the State Agricultural Marketing Board has set up 1,307 mandis and procurement centers for this procurement. Along with Khanna, the arrival of wheat will increase in the next few days in the mandis of Rupnagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala and Majha.
At present, wheat is cultivated in 86 lakh acres (35 lakh hectares) area of Punjab, with an estimated yield of 161 lakh tonnes, which will fall in the category of bumper crop. Experts have predicted a yield of 54 quintals per hectare this time. Last year this yield was 49 quintals per hectare. The Center has already set a target of purchasing 130 lakh tonnes of wheat in the markets of Punjab. This time the minimum support price of wheat has been fixed at Rs 2,275 per quintal.
The Reserve Bank of India has approved a cash-credit limit of Rs 27,000 crore for Punjab. Tenders have been allotted for payment of crops purchased by the government and payment of laborers. For more than half a century, Punjab has been the storehouse of grains for the whole of India and the farmers of the state have increased the yield every time through hard work which makes everyone proud.
