Double Bonanza For Punjab Farmers: Wheat Procurement Hits Record High, Farmers Get DBT Benefit For First Time

Government agencies have procured 132.08 lakh metric tonnes(LMT) of wheat from Punjab, with more than 9 lakh farmers as beneficiaries as per a report in Indian Express.

For the first time, Punjab farmers have started receiving payments directly into their bank accounts against the sale of their Wheat crop. Approximately, Rs 22,215.93 crore has already been transferred directly into Punjab farmers' account.

Rabi marketing season (RMS), from 10 April to 13 May, was 12 days shorter than last year.

Food Corporation of India, FCI under Government Of India and other agencies have procured 341.77 LMT Wheat in Central Pool up to 10 May, against 252.50 LMT during the corresponding period of last year.

FCI records reveal that this is the largest wheat procurement in Punjab's history. It was under 100 LMT till 2009-10.

Ravi Bhagat, Director, Department of Punjab Food Supply and Consumer Affairs, attributed direct payment to farmers' accounts as one of the most important reasons for this.

"The government has registered farmers on the Anaj Kharid portal and the money was credited into their accounts, not those of arhtiyas… Punjab has also become the first state where the J form that carries the details about the crop a farmer sells to the government is included in the Digilocker. He is not dependent on a middleman for getting the J form."

Bharatiya Kisan Union BKU (Dakaunda) leader Jagmohan Singh too, said that one of the crucial reasons more wheat came to mandis was the direct payment of MSP into accounts farmers went there instead of to flour millers.

One farmer, Gurdip Singh of village Chak Kalan near Jagraon in Ludhiana district, expressed his pleasure for the process. "I am very happy with this system with money coming directly. I sold my entire crop to government agencies as the MSP was also better this time." Singh had seeded wheat on 20 acres and sold around 400 quintals for Rs 8 lakh.