Haryana gears up for wheat procurement

The Haryana government has made all the arrangements to procure around 80 lakh tonnes of wheat at the minimum support price of Rs 1735 per quintal this year, an official said today.

The state had purchased 74.25 lakh quintal tonnes of wheat at the MSP of Rs 1,625 last year.

"Each and every grain of wheat crop produced by farmers will be procured in the state. The Agriculture Department has estimated the production of about 117.80 lakh tonnes of wheat in the state for Rabi 2018," Additional Chief Secretary, Food and Supplies department, Ram Niwas told reporters here today.

Through the finance department, Rs 4,900 crore have been made available from RBI for procurement, he added.

The government has made all the funds available to procure wheat and farmers would be paid within 48 to 72 hours of procurement, he said.

Detailing about the arrangements, he said that all the 383 mandis of the state already stand allotted to various procurement agencies for the smooth procurement operations and for the convenience of the farmers.

As many as 2,66,370 gunny bales have already been made available at the district level by March 25, 2018, he said.

For the procurement of current rabi season, about 41 lakh metric tonnes storage facility is available and applications have been invited from private firmsto provide more storage, he said.

Almost all labour and transport contractors have been appointed in the mandis till date, he said.

He said that necessary arrangements of water, resting place and toilets have been made in the mandis.

Deputy Commissioners have been directed to inspect mandis before the start of procurement to oversee and ensure all arrangements are in place and avoid any inconvenience to the farmers, he said.

He said that Food Corporation of India will procure 12 per cent of wheat and the rest 88 per centwill be procured by state procurement agencies.

Hafed will procure 40 per cent of wheat, Food and Supplies 33 per cent, Haryana Warehousing Corporation, 15 per cent and Food Corporation of India 12 per cent.

Farmers have been appealed to bring wheat with moisture content of 12 per centfor easy procurement process, he said.

The Additional Chief Secretary said that the state government has given the indent of 2,96,680gunny bales to Jute Commissioner throughGovernment of India.As of March 25, 2018 as many as 2,66,370 gunny bales have already been made available at the district level, he said.

The state government is in the possession of about 20 thousand plastic bales which would be utilised after the approval of Government of India, he said.

There was no shortage of bags for the procurement process, he assured.

He said that the total storage capacity of 81.20 lakh metric tonnes ofthe Food Corporation of India and the State Procurement agencies is available in the state.

However, about 40 lakh metric tonnes is already occupied by crop of rice and wheat and for the procurement of current rabi season, about 41 lakh metric tonnes storage facility is available, he said.

Apart from this, about ten lakh metric tonnes wheat will be sent to other states, he said.

Bringing complete transparency in the system, it was for the first time that e-tenders were floated for the appointment of labour and transport contractors in the mandis and almost all have been appointed till date, he said.