He said this year the state government has already credited minimum support price (MSP) payments worth Rs 828 Crore directly into the bank accounts of farmers.
(Representational Photo: Getty Images)
As the wheat arrivals surge in most parts of the state, the state procurement agencies on Thursday claimed to have
set a 15-year record for the highest purchase and farmer payments in the state.
Disclosing this today, a spokesperson of the state government said the total purchase of wheat touched 17 lakh tonnes on 13 April which was the highest purchase on this date in the last fifteen years.
He said this year the state government has already credited minimum support price (MSP) payments worth Rs 828 Crore directly into the bank accounts of farmers. Additional payments worth Rs 871 Crore have been cleared by the department and would be credited into the accounts of the farmers as soon as the banks reopen on Saturday, the spokesperson said.
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No payments would be possible on 14 April and 15 April as a result of bank holidays on these dates, he added.
Replying to a question regarding the pace of purchase, the spokesperson said 13 April witnessed the highest single-day purchase of 4.7 lakh tonnes in the present season. The day-ending quantity of unsold wheat is much less than a single day’s arrival, which is proof enough of the efficiency with which the procurement is happening, he said.
On the increased global demand for wheat, he said that an all-time record private purchase of one lakh tonnes of wheat has already happened, which is way higher than the corresponding purchases on the same date in earlier years.
Private purchases are picking up with every passing day, he added Terming these record-breaking figures a result of the meticulous arrangements made by the state government under the strict directions of the Chief Minister, the spokesperson said the Punjab government was committed to farmers’ welfare and would continue to take all possible
steps to facilitate the seamless sale of the hard-earned produce of farmers.
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