Wheat procurement across the district has been sluggish amid low arrivals due to harvesting delays in the aftermath of the recent unseasonal rain, officials aware of the matter said.
However, wheat arrivals are gradually picking up pace.
Till Friday evening, 1,261 metric tonnes (MT) of wheat had arrived at mandis across the district. So far, government agencies have only purchased 115 MT of the grain.
According to Mandi Board officials, arrivals have started at grain markets in Hathur, Jagraon, Khanna, Ludhiana, Machhiwara, Raikot, Sanhewal, Samrala and Sidhwan Bet.
Khanna mandi recorded the highest arrivals at 450 MT of wheat. Sidhwan Bet Mandi saw the lowest arrival across the district.
Baljinder Singh, a farmer from Doraha, said, "The recent spell of rain disrupted harvesting in several areas, leaving standing crop damp and threshing delayed. We hope the weather clears so arrivals can gain momentum in the coming days."
'Basic amenities lacking'
A farmer at the grain market on Gill Road expressed concern over basic amenities. "We spend hours waiting for our produce to be weighed and procured. However, there is no proper washroom facility or drinking water arrangement. A waiting room is urgently needed for farmers," he said, requesting not to be named.
Jaswinder Singh, a farmer from Raikot, also said the infrastructure was inadequate. "The procurement process is smooth but infrastructure is lacking. Adequate lighting and seating arrangements should be ensured, especially for elderly farmers," he added.
Gurdip Singh, chief agriculture officer, said arrivals were expected to increase in the next four to five days. He attributed the sluggish pace to the recent rainfall. "Once harvesting resumes at full pace, mandis will see a surge in wheat inflow," he added.
Grain market inspected
Gurjeet Singh Gill, chairperson, Market Committee, and state secretary, Kisan Wing Punjab, inspected procurement operations at Ludhiana grain market on Saturday. He expressed satisfaction with the arrangements, assuring farmers that "all necessary measures had been implemented to ensure a smooth procurement process". "Farmers will not face any inconvenience. The procurement was going on seamlessly across all mandis in the district," he said.
Gill, along with Harinder Singh Gill, secretary, said payments for procured wheat were being transferred directly into farmers' bank accounts. "Officials have been instructed to avoid delays in transportation, payments or logistics. Basic facilities, such as clean drinking water, sanitation, lighting and seating, have been ensured for farmers," they added.