Punjab Minister Kataruchak Reviews Paddy Procurement in Jagraon, Says 7.50 Lakh MT Crop Procured So Far

Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Wednesday reviewed paddy procurement arrangements at the Jagraon grain market and said that 8.50 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had arrived in grain markets across the state so far, with 7.50 lakh metric tonnes already procured by government agencies.

Kataruchak, who was accompanied by Jagraon MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke, said the state has set a target of procuring 180 lakh metric tonnes of paddy during the 2026-27 procurement season. The crop is being procured at Rs 2,461 per quintal.

He said the Reserve Bank of India has released a Cash Credit Limit (CCL) of Rs 42,786.68 crore for paddy procurement, ensuring timely payment to farmers. He added that bardana has also reached the mandis.

The Minister assured farmers that the Punjab Government would procure every grain of the state’s crop and would not allow paddy from other states to be brought into Punjab mandis. He said farmers and arhtiyas would not be allowed to face difficulties during the procurement season.

Kataruchak said that, on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, he has been visiting grain markets across Punjab to review procurement arrangements and Ludhiana is the 11th district covered during the exercise. He said payments for procured paddy are being transferred into farmers’ bank accounts within 24 hours.

Directing officials to ensure smooth arrangements for transportation, payments, bardana and lifting, the Minister said farmers are ‘Annadatas’ and must be treated with full respect. He also appealed to farmers to bring only dry and clean paddy to the mandis in accordance with prescribed moisture norms to facilitate immediate procurement.

Expressing satisfaction with the arrangements at Jagraon grain market, Kataruchak said the large market had been provided with adequate facilities. He particularly appreciated the installation of lights at a cost of around Rs 2.5 crore by MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke.

On stubble management, Kataruchak said protecting Punjab’s water, air and land from pollution was a shared responsibility. He appealed to farmers not to burn paddy residue and expressed hope that collective efforts by farmers and the state government would help protect the environment.

MLA Sarvjit Kaur Manuke said farmers’ interests remain a priority for the Punjab Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. She urged officials to ensure that farmers do not face harassment while selling their produce and appealed to them to bring dry and clean paddy to the mandis to avoid delays in procurement.

Chairman Market Committee Jagraon Kulwinder Singh Jhajj, Deputy Director, Food and Civil Supplies Department, Patiala, Dr Navneet, District Food Supply Controller (Ludhiana West) Sartaj Singh Cheema, Arhtiya Association Jagraon president Jagpal Singh Kaler and Rice Mill Association president Hari Om Mittal, besides several arhtiyas and farmers, were present.