LUDHIANA, APRIL 27 – Procurement of wheat this year had crossed the previous year’s figures of 3.96 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) (till April 26, 2020) and touched 7.56 LMT as on the same date in the ongoing Rabi marketing season.
Divulging the details, Deputy Commissioner Varinder Kumar Sharma, while reviewing the procurement operations, said the administration was expecting the arrival of 9-LMT wheat this year. He said that till yet the administration had procured 756736 metric ton of the wheat in the various grain markets/purchase centres, which was 84% of the total expected produce.
Sharma said that since the starting of procurement of grains in the district 756736 metric ton wheat had arrived in the grain markets/purchase centers across the district and the entire stock had been purchased by the various agencies till April 26, 2021.
He told that on the same date in the previous year (April 26, 2020), the procurement figure was 396174-MT wheat. He said that the lifting of grains had already picked up pace and further revealed that so far payment worth Rs 1053.12 crore made to the farmers.
The Deputy Commissioner said that the district administration was firmly committed to procure and lift every single grain of farmers under the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic. He said till today, not a single case had been reported from the grain markets which clearly showed the arrangements regarding masking, physical distancing, hand hygiene, sanitization, and others worked well.
Sharma asked the officers of procurement agencies to ensure seamless procurement and lifting of the farmers’ harvest.
