Pvt players best govt agencies in wheat purchase

Wheat-sellers are preferring private parties to the six government agencies for the procurement of their wheat produce at Asia's biggest grain market located in Khanna, some 30 km from Ludhiana city.

It was found that the private agencies are purchasing the yield for Rs 655 to Rs 665 per quintal, with the actual minimum support price (MSP) being Rs 650 per quintal.

The six government agencies that have been assigned the task of procuring yield of wheat include Food Corporation of India (FCI), Punsup, Markfed, Food and Supplies Department, Punjab Warehousing Corporation and Punjab Agros.

The Khanna grain market had received 60,327 quintals of wheat at the time of this report. Last year a total of 1,17,610 quintals of wheat produce was procured.

Speaking to Business Standard, Harbans Singh Rosha, chairman of Market Committee, Khanna and president of Khanna Arthiya Association said the wheat produce started reaching the market at the end of last month. "The private players are purchasing the yield at a price which is Rs 5 to Rs 15 more than the MSP fixed by the government. But the news of arrival of the big giants in the mandi, the rate went up to Rs 675 per quintal at one time. The big private companies started the procurement process from April 10 onwards while the smaller buyers like local flour mills and other Delhi-based traders have been in the market since the end of last month, when the arrival of wheat started in the grain market.''

It was found that the private buyers have also been buying the wheat, right from the farmers' doorstep. Till now, the private buyers are expected to have purchased more than 16,000 quintals of wheat while the total procurement by the government agencies was far less than that by private agencies.

"Last year, approximately 10 lakh quintals of wheat was procured in the Khanna grain market and if this year, the weather remained favourable, the procurement can break last year's record by minimum 1 lakh quintals,'' said Rosha.

It was also found at the grain market that the private agencies are procuring the produce on the same day of its arrival.

According to Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) scientists, in February this year, the mercury suddenly shot up and the wheat crop was expected to get affected.

"But the mercury soon came down due to which the produce was good and healthy. For the last few weeks, the weather has been very hot and dry and that is why, we are getting dried fine quality yield in the market.''