Government launches kharif procurement in Haryana, Punjab

In an endeavor to placate farmers agitating against a few farm-associated legislations, the Centre has made a decision to advance paddy procurement in the 2020-21 Kharif marketing and advertising time (KMS) in Punjab and Haryana.

In an formal statement issued below on Saturday, the Ministry of Customer Affairs, Foods and General public Distribution said it would commence procurement of paddy in the two north Indian States from Saturday, forward of October 1, the day established for commencing procurement throughout the nation otherwise.

“…in check out of early arrival of paddy in the mandis of Haryana and Punjab. Government of India has appeared the graduation of procurement operations for paddy/rice promptly in the two these States from these days, i.e. with influence from twenty sixth September 2020 to make sure that farmers are facilitated in selling their produce at Minimum amount Assistance Cost (MSP) expeditiously,” the ministry statement said.

Substantially, these two States have been witnessing highest protest against the farm Payments in the last few days. In Punjab for occasion, the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh committee, which spearheading the protests in the State considering the fact that Thursday, has made a decision to prolong its rail roko agitation until September 29.

“This is certainly a shift to placate the agitating farmers. These two States have been looking at the highest protests. But there is no damage in advancing the graduation of procurement as paddy arrivals start off typically by September 15,” said Devinder Sharma, an agricultural plan expert.

The authorities has presently declared early this month that it would procure more than 495 lakh tonnes of rice, almost twenty for every cent a lot more than the 416 lakh tonnes target established for the 2019-twenty KMS.