Chandigarh, Oct 19 (PTI) Around 2.62 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been lifted out of total procurement of 16.37 lakh MT so far in state mandis, Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak said on Saturday.
Amid farmers protesting against "tardy" procurement of the paddy crop, the minister urged the state rice millers to come forward and start their milling operations, asserting that the state government always stands by them.
Several farmers' groups have been protesting against the slow procurement of paddy, which led to a glut in mandis. The state rice millers and the commission agents are also supporting the farmers' protest.
The state rice millers have complained of space crunch for storing the fresh paddy crop and want the Centre to liquidate the existing wheat and paddy stock to create sufficient space.
Rice millers have also expressed concern over the out-turn ratio (post milling yield) of the PR-126 paddy variety, claiming that it will lead to huge losses. They have said that the out-turn ratio of this variety is less than 67 per cent, a ratio which has been fixed by the Centre.
They have refused to mill the paddy till their demands were met. The minister on Saturday said there will be sufficient space available for the storage of the fresh crop.
Addressing the media here, the minister said 18.31 lakh metric tonnes of paddy crop has arrived so far in grain markers and of this, 16.37 lakh MT has been purchased. "2.62 lakh MT of paddy has been lifted so far," he further said.
He further informed that farmers have got more than Rs 3,000 crore as payment for their produce. A target of procurement of 185 lakh metric tonnes of paddy from Punjab has been fixed for the 2024-25 Kharif Marketing season.
On the issue of space crunch for storing food grains, which has been raised by the rice millers, Kataruchak said the Food Corporation of India has a plan to move out 13 lakh MT of foodgrain stock out of Punjab in October.
"9.50 lakh MT of space has been created as of now in Punjab," he said. He said that in normal course, maximum foodgrain stock moves out of the state from October to March.
"By December, 25-30 lakh MT of space will be available," he further said.
He further said 40 lakh MT of rice will be kept in warehouse godowns after wheat stock is moved out. "I do not think we will have any problem pertaining to food grain space," he said as he sought to allay concerns of the rice millers.
He informed that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had recently met Union Minister Parhlad Joshi and raised the issue of space crunch for food grain storage.
The minister said the state government has already accepted the rice millers' demand of releasing pending security of custom milled rice (CMR) and reducing CMR security which will benefit them to the tune of Rs 600 crore.
"Around 2,100 rice millers have registered and 1,500 millers have signed agreements. We are requesting them to lift the crop and take to their mills for milling operations," he said.
To a question on the lesser out-turn ratio in PR-126 variety, Kataruchak said the CM during his recent visit raised the issue with the Centre.