Govt trumps private players in wheat buy

Contrary to apprehensions that private players may grab a major share in wheat procurement in Punjab and Haryana, the government agencies have done well in the two states.

Up to April 15, 1.28 million tonnes of wheat arrived in the various mandis of Punjab. Of the total arrival, the state government agencies have procured 1.04 million tonnes (81.12 per cent), Food Corporation of India 109,000 tonnes (8.49 per cent) and private traders 133,000 tonnes (10.39 per cent).

In Haryana, up to April 15, 1.14 million tonnes of wheat arrived in various mandis of the state. Of the total wheat arrival, 918,000 tonnes (80.01 per cent) were procured by five state government agencies, 140,000 tonnes (12.26 per cent) by FCI and 88, 677 tonnes (7.73 per cent) by private traders.

The wheat was procured by government procuring agencies at the minimum support price of Rs 850 per quintal, including a bonus of Rs. 100 per quintal. State government agencies like the Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Ltd (Hafed) had procured 376,000 tonnes, Food and Supplies Department 279,000 tonnes, Confed 72,801 tonnes, Agro Industries Corporation 101,000 tonnes and Haryana Warehousing Corporation 88, 270 tonnes, while FCI purchased 140,000 tonnes.

Expressing satisfaction over the accelerated rate of procurement, Tejinder Kaur, principal secretary, food and civil supplies department, Punjab, said farmers would also get their due payments in the stipulated time, that the department would not tolerate any harassment of the farmers either at the hands of the officials of various procurement agencies or commission agents and not brook any laxity in procurement process. She said farmers would also get their due payments within the stipulated time. She advised the farmers not to sell their produce outside the mandis.

Giving agency-wise details of the procurement, she said the five state government agencies "" Pungrain, Markfed, Punsup, PSWC and PAIC "" had procured 179,000 tonnes, 311,000 tonnes, 275,000 tonnes, 134,000 tonnes and 145,000 tonnes of wheat, respectively, till April 15.

Apart from mandis, it was reported earlier that in both the states, the private traders were lifting wheat from the door step of the farmers in order to avoid mandis fees, but the quantum of wheat could not be ascertained.

Last year, in Haryana, 3.02 million tonnes of wheat arrived in various mandis in the state. Of the total, 1.96 million tonnes (64.97 per cent) of wheat was procured by the state government agencies, FCI 269,000 tonnes (8.90 per cent) and the rest by the private players and traders ie 7.89 lakh Mts(26.13 per cent). In Punjab, last year, corporates like ITC, Cargill traders grabbed 18-20 per cent of the total wheat procured in the state, which was to the tune of 9.5 million tonnes.