Value cut 'double blow' for distressed wheat growers: HR govt

The Haryana government today urged the Centre to waive off value cut on "shrivelled grains" and "lustre lost" wheat, saying if it is imposed, it will turn out to be a "double blow" for wheat growers who are already facing the brunt of untimely rains and hailstorm.
Union Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan took this view of state government sympathetically while assuring it to take up the matter with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The state government also demanded from the Centre to provide relaxation in "damaged" wheat content and raise the limit under "shrivelled and broken" grains.
"We have sought from the Union minister (Ram Vilas Paswan) not to levy any value cut as it will be a twin blow for state growers whose crop had already damaged because of rains and hailstorm," a senior official of Haryana Food and Supplies department told PTI today.

"The Union minister was sympathetic and favourable to our view," he said adding that he would take up the matter with the PM in this regard.
Though value cut amount is expected to be nominal, it will put huge financial burden on farmers, official said.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has also called a meeting tomorrow here to discuss the issue of value cut among other issues in order to provide relief to growers.
While announcing relaxation in wheat purchase, the Centre had also imposed value cut wherein the limit of shrivelled and broken grains is relaxed up to 9 per cent with half value cut imposed in such a manner that for every relaxation of 2 per cent or part thereof, one full value cut at a rate of Rs 14.50 per quintal will be applied.

A delegation led by Haryana Food and Supplies Minister Ram Bilas Sharma along with senior officials of the department today met Paswan in Delhi.
Haryana government also raised the issue of shrivelled and broken grains wherein it sought to increase the limit from 9 to 10 per cent. The Centre had raised this limit from 6 to 9 per cent.
FCI had found 10-11 per cent of shrivelled gains and broken grain in majority of districts.
The state government has also sought from the Centre to club the damage and partially damage wheat in one category and raise this limit to 6 per cent. The Centre had not given any relaxation on this front even as damage content was in the range of 2.5 per cent to 11 per cent.

In its interim report submitted to Union Food Ministry, Food Corporation of India (FCI) found damage content in wheat crop in the range of 2.5 per cent to 11 per cent, shrivelled grain and broken grain in the range of 3-13 per cent and lustre lost in the range of 20-60 per cent in Haryana.
The problem in wheat crop was found in few districts including Palwal, Mewat, Jhajjar and Faridabad.
The Haryana government had projected loss in wheat crop over 18 lakh hectares out of total sown area of 25 lakh hectares because of rain and hailstorm.
With untimely rains along with hailstorm causing damage to crops, Haryana has scaled down its wheat procurement target by 13 per cent to 65 lakh tonnes for the Rabi marketing season 2015-16.