Food Minister assures “every grain” of paddy will be procured in Punjab

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Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi on Sunday assured that “every grain” in the current rice procurement season in Punjab, the largest contributor of the grain to the Central Pool stock, will be procured and dismissed the current stand-off terming it as created by vested interests while there is no crisis.

Regarding the issue of lower quantity of rice realised this time in Punjab, Joshi said IIT Khargapur has been asked to study the issue of lower quantity of rice realised (Out Turn Ratio from paddy to rice) of PR 126 variety. “This PR 126 variety is not new, it has been grown since 2016 in Punjab,” Joshi said wondering why this issue has suddenly come up. While the Centre has fixed OTR at 67 per cent (millers had to deliver 67 kg rice to FCI after processing 100 kg of paddy), millers in Punjab are seeking its revision to 62-63 kg claiming the PR 126 variety has lower realisation. Regarding the demand of the millers, the minister said the Centre will has one standard throughout the country and no special favours can be done for Punjab alone.

He ruled out any temporary relief to Punjab until the reports are out. He said there are also reports of some other hybrid rice varieties grown in place of that PR 126 variety, which is popularised as a short-duration, less water consuming variety.

The Centre targets buying 124 lakh tonnes (lt) of rice in Punjab this year, as procurement began from October 1 with 2,700 purchase centres set up, including temporary yards, and is scheduled to continue until November 30. The total procurement was 124.14 lt in Punjab in 2023-24. The procurement reached 20.60 lt until October 23, which is 36 per cent lower from about 32 lt in the year-ago period.

Weather impact

Joshi also said that due to heavy rainfall in September-October and higher moisture content in paddy, the harvesting and procurement were slightly delayed.

Punjab had received 314.6 mm rainfall in the monsoon season (June-September), which is 28 per cent below normal of 439.8 mm, IMD data show. In September 2024, the State had received 46 per cent deficient rainfall with as many as 16 out of 22 districts reporting deficient showers in the month and monsoon finally withdrew from the entire Punjab on October 2.

In the post-monsoon period (during October 1-27), 2.4 mm of rainfall was recorded in Punjab, which is 69 per cent lower than 7.9 mm considered normal for the period.

Sources said that the apparent reason for this year’s stand-off between Punjab government and the Centre with regard to rice procurement was due to the seriousness of the Centre in implementing the diversification plan amid declining ground water table. “The State, governed by the Aam Aadmi Party, has created a situation in which farmers are on protest against delay in procurement even though purchases are managed by the State government,” the source said.

There were issues raised in the past also, but procurement continued smoothly and those issues between the State and the Centre were always settled later once the procurement got over, the sources said.

Joshi also said, “To ensure that adequate storage arrangements are in place for the custom milled rice (CMR), several high level meetings have been conducted with the Punjab and follow-up actions are being taken up on priority.”

The delivery of CMR usually begins in December every year and by that time, sufficient space will be available to ensure smooth delivery of CMR by the millers, he added. A detailed depot-wise plan has been prepared to evacuate 13-14 lt of wheat every month from Punjab until March, 2025.

Meanwhile, the minister on Monday will launch an online portal for grievance redressal of rice millers. Officials claimed that grievances of millers will be sorted out in three working days after raised on the portal.