Haryana Government to Procure Paddy Beyond Prescribed Average Yield; Farmers' Concerns to Be Addressed Within 48 Hours- Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana

 

Agriculture Minister reviews procurement, lifting and payment arrangements at grain markets in Sirsa, Dabwali, Kalanwali and Rania; directs officials to ensure smooth operations

 Chandigarh,  –

Haryana Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Sh. Shyam Singh Rana said that the State Government is committed to procuring every grain produced by farmers and will also purchase paddy exceeding the prescribed average yield. Farmers whose paddy production exceeds the prescribed average need not worry about selling their additional produce. They can submit details of their excess yield in writing to the Secretary of the concerned Market Committee, and necessary action will be ensured within 48 hours of receiving their request.

 Sh. Shyam Singh Rana, while reviewing procurement arrangements for the Kharif season during his visit to the grain markets at Dabwali, Kalanwali, Rania and Sirsa on Sunday, directed officers to ensure that farmers do not face any difficulty in selling their produce even when their yield exceeds the prescribed average.

 Later, he interacted with farmers and commission agents (arhtiyas) to assess paddy procurement, lifting of purchased produce, payments, availability of gunny bags, fertilisers and other facilities at the mandis. He directed officers to maintain smooth procurement operations and resolve farmers' grievances on priority.

 The Agriculture Minister said that paddy with moisture content up to the prescribed limit of 17 percent is being procured in accordance with the rules. Payments are being made to farmers after the issuance of J-Forms. He instructed officials to ensure timely lifting of procured crops and maintain adequate availability of gunny bags. He said that prompt lifting of produce from the mandis would also facilitate timely payments to farmers.

 He further directed that adequate arrangements for cleanliness, drinking water and other essential facilities be maintained for farmers and commission agents. Procurement-related records should be kept updated, while complaints and grievances must be addressed without delay.

 Referring to space constraints in certain grain markets, the Minister said that arrangements are being made to provide additional space wherever required. Necessary action has already been taken in cases where applications seeking additional space have been received. He assured farmers and commission agents that they would not face difficulties due to a shortage of space for storing their produce.

The Minister further directed the officers to ensure optimal utilisation of available space and maintain uninterrupted procurement and lifting operations. During the visits, representatives of the Arhtiya Associations at Sirsa, Kalanwali and Rania grain markets also submitted memoranda outlining their demands. The Minister assured them that appropriate action would be taken on their demands at the earliest.

The Agriculture Minister also assured farmers that there would be no shortage of fertilisers in the state. He said arrangements are being made to supply fertilisers according to the land registered on the portal. Fertilisers have also been made available in Sirsa district, and farmers will not be allowed to face difficulties in obtaining them.

During his interaction with farmers in Dabwali, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana said that the government is making necessary efforts to ensure adequate irrigation water for farmers. He assured them that every effort would be made to prevent any shortage of water for irrigation.

The Minister said that Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini has assigned duties to ministers and senior officials to visit grain markets and monitor procurement arrangements so that farmers' grievances can be resolved on the spot.

 Highlighting the government's efforts to encourage crop diversification, Sh. Shyam Singh Rana said that farmers are being encouraged to cultivate alternative crops instead of paddy. He informed that the State Government has decided to provide an incentive of Rs 10,000 per acre to farmers who shift from paddy cultivation to cotton. The initiative aims to reduce the area under paddy cultivation while encouraging farmers to adopt alternative crops.

During his interaction with farmers in Kalanwali, the Minister said that discussions are being held with agricultural universities to ensure the availability of high-quality seeds for promoting cotton cultivation. He further said that in areas where groundwater is saline and canal water is required for irrigation, possibilities of using a combination of canal water and tubewell water for irrigation would also be explored.