Appeals to farmers to bring only dry paddy to mandis to ensure full value of their produce
Kapurthala, September 18
Deputy Commissioner Akash Bansal on Friday has urged farmers to bring only dry paddy with 17% or lower moisture content to the grain markets (mandis) for the upcoming procurement season.
Chairing a meeting with officials, the DC emphasized that adherence to this guideline will help ensure a smooth and hassle-free procurement process across the district. He said that combine harvesters would only be permitted to operate between 10 am and 6 pm, with strict action, including seizure, against violators. He assured farmers that the Punjab Government, under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, was committed to lifting every single grain of paddy without delay, provided that crop meets the prescribed moisture norms. He added that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for paddy has been fixed at Rs 2,461 per quintal this year by the government.
The Deputy Commissioner directed the Chief Agriculture Officer and District Mandi Officer to organise special awareness camps in villages and educate farmers about bringing properly dried paddy to the mandis for procurement. He informed that around 7.88 lakh MT of paddy is expected to arrive this season. He reassured cultivators that elaborate measures will be in place to guarantee that their produce is procured promptly and without inconvenience.
