Wheat sellers prefer private parties over govt agencies

Khanna, Apr 10 (UNI) Most of the farmers coming to Asia's biggest grain market here are selling wheat to private purchasers, who are offering about Rs five to Rs 15 per quintal more than the price being paid by the six government purchase agencies.

Figures avaliable till April 8 showed that the private purchasers had procured almost 15,000 quintals of wheat, which reached here, while government agencies had procured just 300 quintals so far.

The government agencies that have been assigned the task of procuring the food grain include Food Corporation of India (FCI), Markfed, Food and Supplies department, Punjab Warehousing Corporation, Punjab Agros and Punsup.

Chairman Market Committee and President of the Khanna Aartiya Association Harbans Singh Rosha disclosed today that the arrival of wheat had started reaching the grain market from the end of last month.

He said the private agencies were purchasing the yield for Rs 655 to Rs 665 per quintal and in some cases farmers were even paid Rs 675 per qunital against the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 650 per qunital.

Mr Rosha said with the grain arrivals expected to pick-up this week, certain major private companies are all set to enter the Asia's biggest grain market.

Local flour millers and Delhi-based traders have been in the market since the arrival of wheat started, he added.

''In the last season about 10 lakh quintals wheat was procured in this mandi. This year, if the weather remains favourable, the procurement would break last year's record with the figure touching 11 lakh quintals , he added.

He also said that the private purchasers in this mandi were paying excess rates than MSP, so the farmers from other centres would also start coming to Khanna mandi.

Many farmers who reached the grain market today to sell their crop said they did not have to wait to sell their crop as the private agencies were procuring it on the same day of arrival and making prompt payments. They were satisfied at being paid more than the MSP, which is not the case with govenment purchase agencies. There are around half-a-dozen private flour mills each having a capacity to grind 100 quintals of wheat daily. The owners of these mills are in a hurry to buy the wheat even at a price more than the MSP. There is great demand for flour in the country due to shortage of wheat, which has promopted the government to import the grain.

Labourers in Punjab who are engaged in wheat harvesting were being paid Rs 1200 per acre by the farmers, while the migrant labourers are getting Rs 1200 per acre along with nine kg ration.

Combine harvesters owners were ready to harvest the crop for Rs 500 per quintal but the farmers who wanted to get chaff are preferring manual harvesting in order to earn extra money by selling chaff to the dairy owners.

According to statistics avaliable with the Punjab government, about 2.63 lakh metric tonnes of wheat had been procured till date both by private traders and government agencies.

The total procurement target this year has been fixed at 146 lakh metric tonnes, more or less the same as the last season, despite a fall of 52,000 hectare acreage under wheat.

UNI