The Center on Sunday introduced a significant leisure within the Fair and Average Quality (FAQ) norms of wheat by elevating the utmost permissible restrict of “shrivelled and broken grains” to 18 per cent from the present 6 per cent.
The transfer is geared toward offering reduction to Punjab and Haryana farmers throughout the ongoing rabi advertising and marketing season.
A press release issued by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution stated: “The Center has decided to allow FCI to procure wheat in Punjab and Haryana, including UT of Chandigarh, for central pool by relaxing the FAQ of shriveled and broken grains up to 18 per cent without any value cut. This decision will reduce the hardship of farmers and avoid distress sale of wheat.”
The transfer comes after the 2 states wrote to the Centre, in search of leisure within the Uniform Specifications of Wheat for RMS 2022-23. They had urged the Center to boost the utmost permissible restrict of shriveled and damaged grains to twenty per cent.
According to the Food Ministry, Central groups had been deputed in Punjab and Haryana in April-May to gather very massive sized samples from mandis, which had been later analyzed in FCI labs. “The results indicated presence of shriveled and broken grains in varying percentages and beyond FAQ norms,” the assertion stated.
“The emergence of shriveled grains is a pure phenomenon showing because of excessive warmth wave that enveloped the northern a part of the nation in March. These hostile climate circumstances are past the management of farmers and therefore, they shouldn’t be penalized for such pure incidence,” it stated.
Why high quality norms have been relaxed
The transfer to loosen up the FAQ norms is critical in view of the anticipated fall within the procurement of wheat throughout the present yr. According to the Food Ministry, 195 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat is anticipated to be procured throughout the present rabi season, which is lower than half as in comparison with 433 LMT procured final yr. According to the ministry, 180 LMT wheat has been procured until May 14, a lot decrease than 367 LMT procured throughout the corresponding interval in 2021-22.
“Accordingly, the change in texture of the grain deserves to be sympathetically thought of by authorities to ease the hardship of farmers. Thus, appropriate leisure in FAQ norms would defend pursuits of farmers and promote environment friendly procurement and distribution of meals grains,” it stated.
Early onset of summer season (by finish of March 2022) has resulted in “shrivelled grains and resultant drop in yield per acre in Punjab and Haryana”, the assertion added.
Punjab and Haryana are main contributors to nationwide meals safety. A amount of 132.22 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) from Punjab and 83.93 LMT from Haryana was procured within the final rabi advertising and marketing season. However, this yr, solely 94.69 LMT from Punjab and 40.72 LMT from Haryana has been procured until May 10. In Punjab and Haryana, FCI and state businesses procure wheat straight from farmers by means of arhtiyas.
Meanwhile, the Center has prolonged the final date of wheat procurement until May 31. “The Center has asked wheat-producing states and UTs with procurement closing dates expiring early to continue procurement till May 31,” the ministry stated in a separate assertion.
The ministry has additionally directed FCI to proceed with wheat procurement below the central pool, the assertion stated.
“The extended period is expected to benefit farmers,” the assertion stated.
The ministry stated: “The wheat procurement under central pool has been less this season as compared to last year as the market price is higher than the MSP, wherein farmers have been selling their produce to private traders.”
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
