Lesser paddy purchase in Punjab, Haryana as basmati acreage rises

CHANDIGARH: With paddy crop arrival almost coming to an end, crop procurement in Punjab and Haryana is likely to remain at about 147 lakh tonnes, almost 16 per cent lesser than what was targeted before the start of purchase during Kharif marketing season 2014-15.

Punjab and Haryana had targeted to procure 175 lakh tonnes of paddy for the central pool.

"Paddy procurement will be lesser than the target because of rise in basmati acreage," an official of Food Corporation of India (FCI) told here.

So far, paddy procurement in Punjab has reached 117.62 lakh tonnes as against initial target of 140 lakh tonnes.

"Paddy procurement in Punjab is likely to remain more or less what has been purchased so far as crop arrivals have now been negligible in grain markets," official said.

In Haryana also, paddy purchase is unlikely to touch the targeted figure of 35 lakh tonnes with crop lifting reaching 29.72 lakh tonnes so far.

"Farmers are now bringing lesser quantity of paddy crop in grain markets," said an official of Haryana Food and Supplies department.

Lesser paddy procurement means lesser contribution of rice from Punjab and Haryana to the central pool. Punjab and Haryana had seen paddy procurement at 127 lakh tonnes and 35.87 lakh tonnes respectively during the last season. Area under basmati crop this season in Punjab went up by 55 per cent to 8.62 lakh hectares this year, with around 30 per cent of total paddy being under basmati.

The output was expected to reach 34 lakh tonne as against 22.65 lakh tonne recorded last season, creating a "glut like" situation.

In neighbouring Haryana, 40 per cent of total area under paddy which is 11.38 lakh hectares is under basmati crop Total area under paddy in Punjab and Haryana was pegged at 28.20 lakh hectares and 11.50 lakh hectares respectively in kharif season.

Notably, because of "deficient" rains this year, farmers of both Punjab and Haryana had to spend Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 per acre extra money on diesel and deepening of tubewells for irrigating paddy.

Governments of Punjab and Haryana had sought financial assistance of over Rs 2,300 crore and Rs 850 crore, respectively, from the Centre to deal with delayed monsoon and prolonged dry spell conditions.