MOGA: The grain markets in Punjab are flooded with paddy, and the officials of the procuring agencies are finding it difficult to cope with the situation. Rice millers are making bulk purchases of the paddy arriving in mandis. But for this, the price would have crashed.
A tour of the mandis of Jagraon, Ajitwal and Moga, showed that because of the glut farmers have to unload their produce on roads. This was particularly so at Ajitwal on the Ludhiana-Ferozepore road.
The prices of paddy are being maintained as per the support price fixed by the Central Government for different varieties. The prices are ruling high in Khanna, where the PR-106 variety is being sold for R.s 260 to R.s 270 per quintal against the support price of R.s 250. But at Moga, the price of the same variety is R.s 250 to R.s 255 per quintal.
Farmers al Ajitwal is sore. They allege that they are being fleeced by archaizes and officials of the Food Corporation of India as they are being offered R.s 245 to R.s 249 per quintal on the pretext of a higher moisture content.
Karamjit Singh, a farmer of Kapura village, says he and many others have refused to sell the produce for R.s 249 per quintal as the quality of their paddy is very good. He adds that there are no proper arrangements for the unloading and cleaning of paddy in the Ajitwal mandi.
Shamsher Singh Dhillon, president, Punjab Young Farmers Association, alleges that there is & conspiracy between arhitias, rice sheller owners and officials of the procuring agencies for offering a lower price to farmers. If a variety of the same quality of paddy could fetch R.s 270 per quintal al Khanna, why can’t this price be offered for the same variety at Moga and some other mandis? He asks.
The moga mandi is receiving nearly one lakh bags of paddy daily, Khanna nearly 60,000 bags, Ajitwal 30,000 bags and Jagraon 60,000 bags.
The purchase in Jagraon and other mandis of Ludhiana district was not very smooth till a few days ago as officials of the Food Corporation of India showed little interest. Now Marketed, Pun sup and the Punjab Food Supplies Department have been allowed these mandis and the purchase centers in Ludhiana district
FCI officials are handicapped for want of labour and a shortage of gunny bags.
Arhtias and rice Sheller owners are working under great strain as several kidnappings have been reported from different parts of the state. Militants have been kidnapping nice Sheller owners and atria’s to extort money. Such incidents have also been reported from Jagraon, Khanna and areas neighboring Moga.
Paramilitary pickets have been set up in the grain markets and purchase centers in the rural areas; The Center has raised the support prices of the IR-8, Jaya and PR106 paddy varieties by R.s 20 and R.s 25 per quintal. Punjabi farmers mainly cultivate PR 106, and the area under IR-8 and Jaya has gone down because of the low price. The Center is also considering a hike of about R.s 50 in the levy price of nice which it will procure from millers. The price may thus go up to Rs 444 per quintal.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 25, 1991
