Chandigarh, 14 October, 2024: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is set to meet Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi at noon on Monday to address urgent paddy procurement issues, including concerns raised by rice millers and commission agents (aartiyas).
The ongoing procurement challenges have sparked farmer protests, disrupting traffic and rail services across Punjab.
On Sunday, farmer unions SKM and BKU Ekta Ugrahan blocked roads and railway tracks, delaying several passenger trains.
Aartiyas are also demanding a 2.5 percent commission on procurement, while rice millers are urging the government to clear old stock from storage facilities to make room for new crops.
Mann previously wrote to Joshi on the matter and directed state officials to speed up the paddy lifting process and reiterated the government’s commitment to purchase all of the farmers’ produce. So far, around 4.3 lakh metric tons of paddy have arrived in markets, with 98 percent already purchased.
The government has released ₹573.55 crore for payments to farmers, ensuring timely compensation.
Rice millers in Punjab are facing challenges related to the storage of paddy stocks. Their primary concern is the government’s delay in moving out old stockpiles of rice from warehouses, which is taking up space needed for the newly harvested paddy. Without adequate storage space, the millers are unable to process the fresh crops, which disrupts the entire supply chain. This issue also affects their ability to meet procurement deadlines and fulfill contracts. Millers are urging the government to expedite the clearance of old stocks to ensure smooth paddy processing during the ongoing procurement season.
They joined the farmers’ protests during the ongoing paddy procurement season, particularly as the issue of storage space worsened.
According to reports, they aligned with the farmers after facing major delays in the removal of old rice stocks from warehouses.
As the protests intensified, with farmers blocking roads and railway tracks, millers raised their voices alongside commission agents (aartiyas), calling on the government to address their concerns.
