Due to the indifference of rice shellers, heaps of paddy have piled up in the Mandis of Punjab.

18-Oct-2024 12:42 PM

Ludhiana. In Punjab, the state which contributes the most food grains to the central pool, due to the refusal of rice millers/shellers to mill the paddy purchased at the government level, heaps of paddy have piled up in various Mandis of the state.

A huge amount of paddy is reaching the Mandis but the speed of its lifting is very slow. Due to the heaps of paddy in the Mandis, farmers are facing a lot of difficulty in bringing their new consignment as there is a lack of space to store it.

Although rice millers/shellers have offered to store this government paddy in their premises for an immediate solution, they are adamant on not milling it. Shellers say that they will not mill paddy until their demands are accepted.

According to the information received, in the current Kharif marketing season, out of the total government procurement of paddy in Punjab till October 17, only 12 percent could be lifted, while the remaining stock of about 88 percent paddy is still lying in the mandis (purchase centers).

This time the government has set a target of purchasing a total of 185 lakh tonnes of paddy, while till October 16, about 13.62 lakh tonnes of paddy was recorded in the mandis.

Government procurement of paddy will continue till November 30, 2024. The President of Punjab Rice Shellers Association says that the millers are ready to store government paddy in their premises, but till the matter is completely resolved, the milling of this paddy will not be started.

The government can keep the stock of paddy in the premises of rice mills and take its account from the millers. This has been happening even before the year 1999 and once again such an incident has happened in 2005.