Gearing up for the Kharif procurement season, the Punjab Government is making comprehensive arrangements to procure every single grain of paddy from grain markets across the state, said S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian, Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Punjab.
S. Khudian, along with Punjab Mandi Board Chairman S. Harchand Singh Barsat, reviewed the state’s preparedness for smooth Kharif crop procurement with senior officials from Agriculture, Food & Civil Supplies, and Punjab Mandi Board at Kisan Bhawan here, on Thursday.
S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab Government would install Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) calibrated moisture meters in all grain markets to standardise moisture measurement, besides ensuring necessary infrastructure, such as cleanliness, potable water, sheds and electricity, in mandis and procurement centres to facilitate smooth paddy procurement.
During the meeting, S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian also reviewed the situation in flood-affected districts through a video conference with Chief Agriculture Officers (CAOs). Administrative Secretary of Agriculture department Dr. Basant Garg directed the CAOs to take proactive measures to support farmers during this challenging time.
He also emphasised the need to sensitise farmers to bring dry crops to mandis so that they won’t have to face any hardship to sell their produce.
The Secretary Punjab Mandi Board Mr. Ramvir informed that the Board’s field staff has been deployed to ensure adequate facilities in grain markets, including electricity, sheds, toilets, and clean drinking water, to support farmers during the procurement season.
Director Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Mr. Varinder Kumar Sharma apprised the meeting that out of the required 5.40 lakh bales of Bardana, approximately 3.50 lakh bales have been received, with the remaining bales expected to be delivered by mid-September.
