Punjabhas managed to achieve more than 50% of its wheat procurement target amid slow lifting at the purchase centres. By Saturday evening, it had procured 65.7 lakh of more than 68.5 lakh metric tonnes of the arrived stock, and hoped to procure 132 lakh MT. However, it has managed to lift less than 20 lakh MT or 29.7% of the stock.
The long spell of inclement weather during the harvesting and procurement season has troubled both farmers and the government. The average arrival is more than 7 lakh MT, and while the procurement figure is quite close, lifting needs to improve. The Punjab state agricultural marketing boards dashboard suggests that procurement was at 96%.
The wheat arrival even in Patialas grain markets was quick but a tardy 22% lifting had created a glut, forcing the farmers and the arhtiyas to report the slowest contracted transporter, which has major clusters.