Five central teams of scientists arrived in Punjab on Wednesday to take samples of the freshly harvested wheat crop after reports of loss in grain quality.
The teams, comprising nine members from the Union ministry of food and public distribution and the Indian Grain Storage Management and Research Institute, Hyderabad, will stay in the state for two days — Thursday and Friday — and take samples from three mandis each in all 23 districts to analyse the grain quality.
Punjab food, civil supplies and consumer affairs minister Lal Chand Kataruchak said the central teams are expected to submit their reports by Thursday. “The state procurement agencies have been directed to extend all possible cooperation to these teams so that they are able to submit their report at the earliest,” he said.
The teams, constituted by the department of food and public distribution, Government of India, have been sent after the state government on Tuesday raised the alarm and sought relaxations in procurement norms from the Centre owing to high percentage of shrivelled grain and loss of lustre in the crop arriving at purchase centres across the state.
The sudden rise in temperatures in mid-March escalated the crop’s maturing process, leading to loss in grain quality. According to norms set by the Food Corporation of India (FCI), the percentage of shrivelled grain and lustre-loss grain are capped at 6% and 10%, respectively.
“On the basis of the report submitted by these teams after a first-hand assessment of the extent of shrivelled grain, the Centre is expected to offer relaxations,” said a senior official of the food department.
Procurement staff call off strike
Kataruchak said that procurement operations have continued unabated across the state following a meeting of the joint coordination committee of procurement staff with senior officials of the department.
About 2,700 inspector-level officers of the four state procurement agencies had announced a strike on Tuesday after the FCI started rejecting the farmers’ produce due to high levels of shrivelled and lustre-loss grain.
“The staff resumed duties after assurance from the top management that they will not be hauled up for loss in crop quality,” said a state department official.
Meanwhile, the minister reiterated that it is unfair to hold farmers responsible for any change in appearance of the grain, especially when such changes are dictated by natural causes beyond human control. He appealed to the farmers to remain patient until the central government gives the requisite relaxations.
Source - https://www.hindustantimes.com
