Punjab wheat procurement surges, shrugs off weather hit

Patiala: Punjab's wheat season remained affected by unseasonal rains, high-velocity winds and erratic temperature swings, even as grain arrivals at start of procurement in mandis increased sharply compared to last year.By Thursday evening, total grain arrivals touched 21,547 metric tonnes, of which 12,329 MT had already been procured. In the corresponding period last year, procurement stood at 1,600 MT out of around 2,500 MT in total arrivals. The Punjab govt has disbursed Rs 13 crore for the procured wheat yield, with another Rs 15 crore in the pipeline.In Feb, an early heatwave accelerated crop maturity and led experts to predict a harvest two weeks ahead of schedule. In March, heavy rainfall and strong winds lashed the state. While the initial March showers were welcomed as a "boon" for grain filling, continued rain proved detrimental and disrupted harvesting timelines, according to agriculture experts.Director of agriculture, G S Brar, said the rainfall delayed the general harvesting schedule by about ten days, though some areas with limited irrigation saw early maturity due to the Feb heat."The rise in temperature in Feb, particularly in areas with comparatively limited irrigation, led to early crop maturity, and harvesting was expected to begin about 15 days earlier than last year. However, rainfall and strong winds in March proved harmful for the standing wheat crop," he added.The Punjab govt ordered a special girdawari to assess crop losses. Initial estimates suggested about 1.35 lakh acres of wheat sustained damage. Fazilka, Muktsar, Bathinda, Moga, Mansa, Amritsar and Ferozepur reported the most significant flattening of standing crops.Chief agriculture officer Dara Singh said that Patiala district witness no major damages to the wheat crop, however, lodging was recorded. He said only 2% of the crop had been harvested so far, as rains delayed the process.Chief minister Bhagwant Mann has ordered the special girdawari and deployed 500 agriculture department teams, along with revenue officials, to expedite relief for affected farmers.To manage arrivals, the Punjab Mandi Board is operating all 1,896 of its owned market yards and has added 538 private sites as temporary mandis to handle overflow and maintain spacing of produce amid wet conditions.Officials, however, flagged quality concerns due to prolonged moisture exposure, including the risk of shrivelled grains and lustre loss, that could disqualify wheat from procurement specifications. Farmers have been urged to ensure produce met prescribed moisture thresholds, with officials warning that non-compliant grain could face procurement delays.Fatehgarh Sahib sees low arrivalsMeanwhile, Fatehgarh Sahib DMO Mandeep Singh has reported low arrival in the district. Around 500 MT of wheat yield has arrived so far, he said, adding that the govt has given some relaxation in the specifications to ease the procurement of crop that seems to be have been impacted due to weather conditions of last two months.MSID:: 130172674 413 |