Centre eases wheat quality norms for Punjab, Haryana

CHANDIGARH, APRIL 12:  The Centre has allowed the purchase of wheat from Punjab and Haryana by relaxing the prescribed quality norms for procurement up to 18 per cent against the existing limit of 6 per cent. However, it has imposed a value cut on the purchase of grain.

In a letter to the Secretary, Punjab Food and Civil Supplies Department, the Union Ministry of Food and Public Distribution said the limit of shriveled and broken grain is being relaxed up to 18 per cent under uniform specifications with a one-fourth value cut for every additional relaxation of 2 per cent or part thereof.

“The state government has to deduct imposed value cut from the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat Rs 2,125 per quintal while making payments to the farmers in Punjab. The value cut is not applicable on wheat having shriveled and broken grains up to 6 per cent,’’ the letter stated.

But the Centre has imposed a value cut ranging from Rs 5.31 to  Rs 31.87 per quintal. A value cut of  Rs 5.31 per quintal has been imposed for shriveled and broken grains of up to 6 to 8 per cent and for 8 to 10 per cent for a value cut of Rs 10.62. A similar letter has been written to the additional chief secretary of the Department of food supplies and consumer affairs, Haryana.

The problem in the wheat grain is the lustre loss because of the untimely rains in March and the high-velocity winds that swept through these states at March-end. Wherever fields are still inundated, the grains have turned black and where the lodging was reported, the grains have turned white.

Grains of truth

Unseasonal rains: March-end weather destroyed the lustre in the wheat

Centre steps in: By relaxing the prescribed quality norms for procurement

However, the Centre imposes  a value cut on purchase of the grain

-TNIE