CHANDIGARH: Four teams from the Centre have reached Punjab to take samples of the freshly harvested wheat produce and assess the crop damage.
The team will submit its report to the Union Ministry of Food and Public Distribution after which the Centre is expected to give relaxation to the state in procurement.
The team's visit comes after the quality of wheat has reduced drastically due to extreme weather conditions, heavy rains, high-velocity winds and hailstorms for the past few days in Punjab.
Meanwhile, it is estimated that around 40 per cent of the sown area has been severely affected by the rains and it is expected that yield loss might be around 15 to 20 per cent this year but the final figure will come as the special Girdawari is going on and will be completed shortly.
Sources said that the central government has deputed its eight officers and sent them to Punjab to ascertain the extent of shrivelled and broken, damaged, discoloured and lustre loss in the wheat crop which has been damaged due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms.
The officers have been divided into four teams who are visiting different districts and would collect the samples in association with state government officials then these samples will be analyzed in the FCI regional laboratory and a detailed report of the Union Ministry of Food and Public Distribution.
"After studying the report centre will give relaxation to the state in the procurement of wheat. The state government has already written a letter to the union government that to give relaxation in the procurement of wheat,’’ said an official.
Sources said that the central teams today visited the grain markets in Mohali, Patiala, Khanna and Sangrur and other places and took around 50 samples. While a team reached Ferozepur but is yet to take the sample. Also, it is expected that this team might take samples from standing crops also as the state government officials have requested them to do so as till no never samples have been taken from standing crops. It is expected that they will submit their report by the coming week.
Till now around 1,078-tonne wheat has arrived in different grain markets of the state which is very less due to bad weather, as the procurement of wheat started on April 1. The state government this time had established 1,872 mandis and procurement centres.
Meanwhile, the harvest of wheat has been delayed due to rain, high-velocity winds and hailstorm. The flattened wheat crop has now started turning black in some places and farmers fear it may be a fungus attack.
It is estimated that around 40 per cent of the sown area of wheat has been severely affected by the rains as the agriculture department and experts peg yield loss to around 15 to 20 per cent this year but the final figure will come as the special Girdawari is going on and will be completed shortly.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that in a major relief to the farmers of the state, the state government has announced a 25 per cent upward revision in the compensation for the crop loss to the farmers.
He said that in case the loss is more than less than 75 per cent then the compensation will be Rs 6800 per acre as compared to Rs 5400 earlier adding that if the loss was more than 75 per cent then the state government will compensate the farmers with Rs 15,000 per acre as compared to Rs 12,000 earlier.
Mann said that the motive is to ensure the well-being of the farmers at all costs adding that special Girdawari is going on in the state and the compensation will be disbursed before Baisakhi.