New Delhi: The Centre has finally announced relaxation in wheat procurement norms for Punjab, providing major relief to farmers hit by unseasonal rains. The decision was conveyed through a letter issued by the Union food ministry on Thursday.
The move comes after the Punjab government had written to the Centre on April 9, seeking relaxation in procurement standards due to crop damage. Following similar relief to Rajasthan and Haryana, the Centre has now extended the benefit to Punjab and Chandigarh as well.
According to the revised norms, wheat with up to 70% lustre loss will now be procured. The limit for shrivelled and broken grains has been increased to 15%, while damaged grains up to 6% will also be accepted.
The decision follows testing of 291 samples collected from 22 districts by central teams. Based on the findings, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) had recommended relaxation in norms to the Union food ministry.
The ministry has, however, directed that such wheat be stored separately and clarified that any deterioration in quality during storage will be the responsibility of the state government.
Punjab had reported damage to around 1.30 lakh acres of crop due to recent rains. Procurement had slowed down in mandis as agencies were reluctant to purchase wheat failing to meet earlier standards.
With the revised norms in place, procurement is expected to pick up pace, bringing relief to both the state government and farmers.
