Though Punjab has put elaborate arrangements in place for wheat procurement, it is weather which has been the random factor in both paddy and wheat seasons since the past one year.

High moisture content in wheat led to slow procurement in mandis of Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Ludhiana, Sangrur and Mohali, which saw some arrivals today. Only 293 quintals were procured on Day Two of procurement by government agencies and private traders.

While the government has gone an extra mile to ensure that all goes well during the poll season, weather is still the worrying point. "This wheat season will see the most modern procurement system. Right from mechanising handling operations in mandis, e-tendering labour and transport contracts and computerising arrival patterns to having a new warehousing policy and a contingency plan to take care of storage woes, we have tried to do everything to streamline the procurement system. But weather is the cardinal factor," says Punjab Food and Supply Minister Adesh Pratap Singh Kairon. However, Punjab Agriculture Director BS Sidhu says moisture will not remain a cause of worry by the time harvesting starts in full swing in the coming five to six days.

So far, only the early-sown crop was bring harvested, he adds. Moreover, moisture in wheat and paddy do not create the same complications since the latter ripens in lower temperatures, and rains during harvesting can damage the grains. "Harvesting of wheat crop begins towards the start of summer and rains at the time of harvest do not have considerable impact on the crop," he adds. Notably, inclement weather had also caused procurement problems during the last paddy season.

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