Punjab extends wheat procurement operations until May 31

Chandigarh, May 15 (PTI) Punjab's Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Lal Chand Kataruchak on Sunday ordered continuation of wheat procurement operations in 232 mandis in the state until May 31.

According to an official statement, this announcement was made after carefully examining the "ramifications" of the recent decision of the Centre to ban wheat exports.

Notably, India has banned wheat exports in a bid to check high prices amid concerns of wheat output being hit by scorching heatwave.

The Union Food Ministry on Sunday announced that wheat procurement operations have been extended until month-end in six states, including Punjab and Haryana.

The Punjab minister said that the restrictions on wheat export are likely to result in a dip in prices of wheat in the domestic market.

"As a result some farmers who had stored the wheat produce in anticipation of fetching higher prices later, might have a rethink now and opt to sell wheat. Therefore, it was important that the facility of government purchase at MSP continues to be available to them in order to avoid distress sale," he said.

Commenting on the working of the mandis, Kataruchak said that the state government had operationalised 2,292 mandis in the state during the present Rabi season.

"But following a drastic dip in the arrivals of wheat in certain parts of the state, 2,060 mandis have so far been closed in a carefully planned phased manner in recent days. Thus, at present 232 mandis continue to be operational, covering all the districts in the state," he said.

The minister added that, although the notified date of closure of procurement was May 31, but seeing the negligible pace of wheat arrivals in the recent days, a request had been made to the Union Ministry of Food and Public Distribution on May 12 to allow premature closure of mandis from May 17.

The state government has now formally withdrawn this request, he said, and keeping in mind the interests of the farmers, these 232 mandis shall continue to be operational in all the districts till May 31. PTI CHS VSD MR MR