Punjab, Haryana on course to meet paddy buying targets despite delay

New Delhi, Oct 30 (PTI) Haryana and Punjab are well on their way to meeting their paddy procurement targets, having already purchased 112 lakh tonnes despite a delayed start due to heavy rains, the Food Ministry said on Wednesday.

The procurement is in full swing in key districts like Kaithal and Kurukshetra in Haryana, approaching last year's levels, it said in a statement.

As of Tuesday, Rs 13,211 crore has been released to 3.5 lakh farmers in Punjab and Rs 10,529 crore to 2.75 lakh farmers in Haryana in the ongoing 2024-25 kharif marketing season (October-September), it added.

To date, 10 lakh farmers in Punjab and 4.06 lakh farmers in Haryana have registered to sell their produce this year.

The ministry expressed confidence that both states will achieve their procurement targets - 185 lakh tonnes for Punjab and 60 lakh tonnes for Haryana - by the stipulated dates of November 30 and November 15, respectively.

"The procurement operations are ongoing in full swing in both the states," the ministry said, adding that "not a single grain shall be left unprocured".

While procurement is down 20.3 per cent in Punjab at 67 lakh tonne and 13.46 per cent in Haryana at 45 lakh tonne compared to last year, the ministry said the states are "well on track" to meet their goals.

Around 4 lakh tonnes of paddy is being lifted daily from Punjab mandis, and 1.5 lakh tonnes from Haryana.

The delay in procurement was due to higher moisture content following heavy September rains, but the ministry assured the MSP payments are being made to farmers via direct bank transfers within 48 hours.

An App-based FCI Grievance Redressal System (FCI GRS) for rice millers has been launched to facilitate rice millers in getting their grievances addressed by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in an efficient, transparent and time-bound manner. PTI