The meals ministry has relaxed the norm for wheat procured by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and state authorities businesses in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh by rising the proportion of shrivelled and damaged grains to 18% from the present norm of 6%.
Earlier, the Centre had despatched two groups to Punjab to evaluate the extent of the issue of shrivelled wheat grain procured by authorities businesses from farmers. Similar request for rest in procurement norms for shrivelled and damaged grains was acquired from Haryana as effectively.
“In order to reduce hardship of farmers and to avoid distress sale of wheat, the limit of shrivelled and broken grains may be relaxed,” a communication by the meals ministry to Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh acknowledged.
Sources mentioned that meals ministry officers had visited numerous mandis within the Punjab to take wheat samples for ascertaining the extent of shrivelled wheat grain brought on by the heatwave within the later a part of the March, thought of because the ripening time for the crop.
The ministry had despatched a workforce to Punjab final month to check the extent of shrivelled grain. The workforce, in its report, acknowledged that excessive warmth in March and early April has elevated shrivelled grain share to 10-20% within the state, as in opposition to 6% prescribed by the FCI.
Last month, the Punjab authorities urged the Centre to chill out the standard norms for wheat procurement as the next than prescribed stage of shrivelled grains within the state’s present crop has led to a fall in purchases.
Government businesses have procured 18 million tonne (MT) of wheat from farmers, principally in key rising states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, until Friday — a decline of 49% in comparison with the identical interval within the earlier 12 months.
Five businesses, together with FCI, Markfed and Pungrain, have been entrusted with the wheat procurement at MSP from farmers in Punjab, the place greater than 9.55 MT has been bought to this point in opposition to 13.22 MT bought a 12 months in the past. Officials mentioned procurement in Haryana, Punjab and Chandigarh have been accomplished.
In Haryana, 4.07 MT has been procured by businesses, whereas in Madhya Pradesh, greater than 4.14 MT has been bought.
In different wheat-growing states like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Gujarat, the quantity of grain procurement has been marginal.
Food secretary Sudhanshu Pandey not too long ago mentioned the decrease output, coupled with non-public buy from farmers by exporters, and merchants holding on to the shares would result in a 55% year-on-year decline in wheat procurement within the 2022-23 advertising and marketing 12 months to 19.5 MT. This means the purchases of the cereal by the federal government at MSP would hit a 13-year low this 12 months.
The authorities has revised the estimate of wheat manufacturing within the 2021-22 crop 12 months (July-June) to 105 MT, down from its February projection of 111.32 MT, primarily based on studies that the early onset of summer time in March has adversely impacted crop yield.
Source: www.financialexpress.com”