Pilibhit: There’s widespread uncertainty over when wheat procurement can begin in Uttar Pradesh, what with the nationwide lockdown over the Covid-19 scare. According to the existing procurement policy, announced by state principal secretary for food and civil supplies, Nivedita Shukla Verma, wheat procurement across the state was to begin from April 1 and conclude on June 15.
Farmer leaders have said the government should bear the liability to protect from unfavourable weather conditions any wheat that has already been harvested anywhere in state, till the time procurement begins.
The state government had fixed a target of procuring 55 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during the current season, via its network of 5,000 procurement centres. UP food commissioner Manish Chauhan said the decision to revise dates for commencement of wheat procurement is pending with the state government.
District authorities too said they haven’t received any information from the state administration in this regard. In normal course, state administration gives procurement agencies gunny bags to pack wheat, at least one week before the beginning of procurement, but this supply too is delayed this year.
Under its procurement policy for the current year, the state government had engaged 10 agencies. Of these, the maximum number of 3,210 centres (out of the approved figure of 5,000) have been assigned to Pradesh Cooperative Federation, while UP State Food and Essential Commodities Corporation has been allotted the minimum — 60 centres.
“I’m yet to receive any information on any state cabinet decision to revise the wheat procurement schedule. The matter is under consideration and dates are expected to be finalised soon,” said Chauhan.
As a result, district authorities haven’t set up any procurement centre yet. In Pilibhit, where wheat has been sown over 1.49 lakh hectares, which is expected to produce 7.5 lakh metric tonnes of crop, district food and marketing officer Avinash Jha said the state had approved 87 procurement centres in the first phase, but because gunny bags and final procurement schedule are awaited, the process won’t start on April 1.
The national convener of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, V M Singh, said, “Because procurement has been postponed by the lockdown, the state government carries moral responsibility to protect any harvested wheat from decay due to unavoidable circumstances like untimely rains. It’s obligatory as especially marginal and small farmers have no storage capacity in their farms.”
Farmer leaders have said the government should bear the liability to protect from unfavourable weather conditions any wheat that has already been harvested anywhere in state, till the time procurement begins.
The state government had fixed a target of procuring 55 lakh metric tonnes of wheat during the current season, via its network of 5,000 procurement centres. UP food commissioner Manish Chauhan said the decision to revise dates for commencement of wheat procurement is pending with the state government.
District authorities too said they haven’t received any information from the state administration in this regard. In normal course, state administration gives procurement agencies gunny bags to pack wheat, at least one week before the beginning of procurement, but this supply too is delayed this year.
Under its procurement policy for the current year, the state government had engaged 10 agencies. Of these, the maximum number of 3,210 centres (out of the approved figure of 5,000) have been assigned to Pradesh Cooperative Federation, while UP State Food and Essential Commodities Corporation has been allotted the minimum — 60 centres.
“I’m yet to receive any information on any state cabinet decision to revise the wheat procurement schedule. The matter is under consideration and dates are expected to be finalised soon,” said Chauhan.
As a result, district authorities haven’t set up any procurement centre yet. In Pilibhit, where wheat has been sown over 1.49 lakh hectares, which is expected to produce 7.5 lakh metric tonnes of crop, district food and marketing officer Avinash Jha said the state had approved 87 procurement centres in the first phase, but because gunny bags and final procurement schedule are awaited, the process won’t start on April 1.
The national convener of All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee, V M Singh, said, “Because procurement has been postponed by the lockdown, the state government carries moral responsibility to protect any harvested wheat from decay due to unavoidable circumstances like untimely rains. It’s obligatory as especially marginal and small farmers have no storage capacity in their farms.”
