Punjab has exceeded all its previous record in wheat procurement as government agencies procured 132.08 lakh metric tonne of wheat this rabi season, according to a report by The Indian Express. The record procurement assumes significance as it comes amidst the ongoing agitation by the farmers of the state against the three farm laws passed by the Parliament.
The government agencies obtained over 2 lakh metric tonnes more than the state government's target. Along with this, over 9 lakh farmers received the money for their crops directly, amounting to a total of Rs 23,000 crore.
In many firsts, this was the first time in history that farmers in Punjab were paid directly instead of through arhtiyas or middlemen. At over 9 lakh, the number of farmers who came with their grain to mandis this year is also higher than the figure of 8.8 lakh last year.
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The Food Corporation of India record shows that this is the highest wheat procurement in Punjab’s history. The number was under 100 lakh metric tonnes till 2009-10.
This move came amidst the ongoing covid crisis and the farmers' protest which started 5 months ago. At 34 days, this rabi marketing season, which began on April 10 and ended Thursday, was 12 days shorter than last year.
The districts that saw lesser procurement compared to last year slightly outnumbered those that saw higher. Eight big wheat-contributing districts, all in the Malwa region, saw procurement fall this year, including Sangrur, Muktsar Sahib, Moga, Mansa, Fazilka, Faridkot, Barnala and Bathinda. However, procurement rose sharply in Doaba region’s Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Nawanshahr and Kapurthala districts; and Majha’s Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Tarn Taran districts.
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“The government has registered farmers on the Anaj Kharid portal and the money was credited into their accounts, not those of arhtiyas… Punjab has also become the first state where the J form that carries the details about the crop a farmer sells to the government is included in the Digilocker. He is not dependent on a middleman for getting the J form,” Ravi Bhagat, Director, Department of Punjab Food Supply and Consumer Affairs, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express. He also added that direct payment into the accounts of the farmers was one of the main reasons behind the record procurement.
