As many as 2,000 wheat purchase centres will soon be opened for the farmers amid this nationwide lockdown in India. The decision came amidst the increasing fears among 40 lakh farmers about the fate of upcoming wheat and mustard procurement operations due to the lockdown & shortage of labourers.
To firm up its fresh purchase plans, the Haryana government held a series of meetings in the last two days with many stakeholders, commission agents and procurement agencies. It has also asked the Centre to provide incentives between Rs 50 and Rs 125 to motivate farmers for staggered arrival of the wheat.
From opening 140 mustard purchase centres (against 67 in 2019) to increasing the number of wheat procurement centres from previous 477 to 2,000, the Haryana government will start the massive wheat purchase exercise in a staggered manner from 20th April.
The purpose of this new procurement plan is to set up purchase centres in the proximity of villages. As the state has more than 6,000 villages, one procurement centre would cater to 3 villages. Generally, mustard and wheat procurement begins on 1st April every year. But this year due to nationwide lockdown the procurement was delayed.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar told that registered farmers’ produce will be procured first. He asked the unregistered farmers to register themselves by 19th April.
Deputy CM, Dushyant Chautala, who also holds food and civil supplies portfolio, said that Dera Sacha Sauda, Dera Bhumanshah, Dera Jagmal and rice millers spread over 13 districts have offered their covered premises for the procurement.
Last year, 80 percent of the total procured wheat had arrived in the mandis in twenty five days, but this time, the state government plans to finish the procurement in 2 months in staggered manner. He said, “We will use every resource, including the MGNREGA labourers.”
More than 15,000 migrant labourers presently staying in government-run shelter homes are ready to join the procurement operations, CM said.
Incentives To Farmers
Haryana has also asked the Centre to provide incentives to farmers to delay & stagger arrival of food grain. Additional chief secretary (food & civil supplies) PK Das, on 26 March 2010, wrote to Union secretary Ravikant that Haryana wanted procurement of wheat to be done in a staggered manner to ensure smooth purchase.
