Chandigarh: Punjab is unlikely to achieve paddy procurement target of 130 lakh tonnes (LT) for the central pool during the current kharif marketing season in the wake of dip in yield at certain places because of inclement weather conditions.
However, crop purchase target of 36 LT in Haryana is expected to be achieved, officials said here today.
"Against the target of 130 LT, paddy procurement is likely to be around 125 LT in Punjab as per trends coming from the fields," a senior FCI official said.
Officials attributed the expected dip in crop arrivals to drop in yield particularly in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Fatehgarh Sahib, Kapurthala districts of Punjab.
"Due to untimely rains, paddy yield in these districts dropped by almost 10 per cent which led to less arrivals," the official said.
Punjab had set a target to achieve 130 LT of paddy in the kharif marketing season.
On the request of Punjab government, the Centre had even relaxed the norms for paddy procurement as farmers had complained of non-purchase of crop due to high mositure content and discoloration.
Paddy purchase in Punjab has reached 112.09 LT so far, of which almost 95 per cent is bought by government agencies and rest by private traders.
In Haryana, paddy purchase target is expected to be achieved in the absence of any adverse impact on crop.
"Paddy procurement target in Haryana will be attained," an official of FCI (Haryana) said here today.
Haryana had set a target of 36 lakh tonne of paddy procurement.
So far, in Haryana, paddy procurement for central pool has reached 35.78 lakh tonne including 34.52 by government agencies and 1.26 lakh tonne by millers.
