The Punjab government advanced the commencement of paddy procurement to September 16 this year, a decision prompted by an earlier directive permitting farmers to sow paddy from June 1. This measure was intended to mitigate high moisture content in the crop during the typical October-November harvest period. Despite the earlier start, only approximately 10,392 metric tonnes (MT) of paddy had arrived at mandis across the state by September 22, with 7,538.43 MT having been progressively procured.
The limited initial arrivals are attributed to several factors. Medium and long-duration paddy varieties are not anticipated to reach mandis before the first or second week of October. Furthermore, short-duration varieties, which would typically be ready earlier, have experienced a delay of seven to ten days due to incessant rainfall. Although Kapurthala and SAS Nagar districts reported rainfall deficits of 23% and 17% respectively, industry representatives, including the president of the Punjab Arhtiya Association, foresee an increase in procurement momentum as more paddy varieties mature and become available in the coming days.
Source: indianexpress.com