Tardy lifting: Grain markets brimming in Malwa region

Wheat purchase centres across southwest Punjab (Malwa) are choking due to slow lifting of food grains even as the purchase by government and private agencies is going on at a good pace.

As per information, sudden heavy arrival, delay in allotting transportation contracts and long wait for trains to shift wheat to other states is reulting in the chaos.

Bathinda arhtiya association president Satish Kumar said on Wednesday that farmers were facing problems in unloading wheat due to less space in mandis.

According to the Punjab mandi board data, of the seven districts of the south Malwa belt, six were able to lift less than 20% of the total wheat that arrived by 6 pm on Wednesday. Moga district is leading with lifting 32% of the produce that arrived till evening.

However, the region is registering 80-97% of purchase of wheat on arrival in mandis to date.

Official information says Ferozepur recorded maximum wheat arrival in the region with 3.54 lakh tonnes and 3.42 lakh of it was purchased by government agencies and private agencies. But only 22,000 tonnes have been lifted from mandis in Ferozepur so far.

In Mansa, 3.32 lakh tonnes of wheat reached in different purchase points and 82% or 2.71 lakh tonnes were bought. Till Wednesday evening, 82% of the total purchased crop was still lying in mandis.

Bathinda, the district with largest area under wheat in the southwest part of Punjab, was able to lift only 18% of the total wheat stock of 3.09 lakh tonnes. Bathinda has 10 market committees, the maximum in the region, where 2.47 lakh tonnes have already been bought.

Muktsar deputy commissioner (DC) Vineet Kumar said a glut-like situation in mandis was due to heavy arrival of crop this season.

“Harvesting was delayed due to unseasonal rain. Mandis have experienced unexpected heavy arrival of 50,000 tonnes in the past four to six days that choked mandis. After reviewing the ground situation, plans have been framed to expedite lifting and we expect things will improve in two to three days,” said the DC.

Muktsar has seen arrival of 2.21 lakh tonnes whereas only 20% of it has been transported to identified places.

According to Fazilka DC Senu Duggal, the delay in allocating transport contracts due to administrative reasons caused tardy lifting.

“A state-level committee resolved all issues on Wednesday and the contractors have assured us to expedite lifting. The situation is likely to improve in three to four days,” she added.

Of the total 1.84 lakh tonnes of wheat that arrived in Fazilka, the agencies have purchased 1.65 lakh tonnes. But only 13% of it was cleared from mandis.

Mansa DC Baldeep Kaur said special trains would be pressed into service to move wheat and the situation would improve within three days.

“Agencies excelled in buying wheat in time but lifting was hit due to a workers’ strike. I held a meeting with the workers engaged in lifting and they assured to resume work from Thursday,” said the DC.