Punjab Lifts Over 23 Lakh MT Paddy in Kharif Season

Chandigarh, Oct 28 (PTI) The Punjab government on Monday said paddy lifting has picked up with a total of 23.30 lakh metric tonnes of the crop being lifted so far in the ongoing kharif marketing season.

"Till date, 59,79,723.94 metric tonne (MT) paddy has arrived in the mandis of the state out of which 54,98,389.72 MT has been procured,' said Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak in a statement.

The lifting has picked up speed with a total 23,30,117.58 MT of paddy being lifted as of now and a record 4.13 lakh MT lifted in a single day on October 27, he added.

On payment to farmers, Kataruchak said an amount of Rs 7,640.55 crore has been credited into the accounts of farmers.

A target of procurement of 185 lakh metric tonne of paddy from Punjab has been fixed for the 2024-25 Kharif Marketing season.

Notably, paddy lifting from mandis (grain markets) in Punjab has been hit after the state rice millers refused to mill the paddy till their demands were met.

The rice millers expressed concern over the out-turn ratio (post-milling yield) of the PR-126 variety and other hybrid varieties, claiming that it will cause them huge losses. They were also demanding the evacuation of wheat and rice stock from the state to create more space for storing the fresh crop.