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Centre relaxes wheat quality norms for Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan.
Apr 13, 2023

The Centre, after receiving inputs from its own team on the quality of wheat crop arriving in mandis/ procurement centres, has decided to relax the norms for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan with a nominal value cut, while a similar decision for Uttar Pradesh is expected in a day or two.

Unseasonal rains and hailstorms in north west India during the second half of March has damaged the crop. The decision to relax norms is seen in the context of meeting the government’s own procurement target of 34.15 million tonnes (mt). Besides, it also helps the government thwart any political controversy after the Punjab cabinet passed a resolution urging the Centre to announce an immediate relaxation.

'There was no other alternative as it was already done for Madhya Pradesh, and any rejection of wheat citing non-conformance with standards, could have created unrest among farmers. Moreover, the government also wants to procure at least 29-30 mt of wheat,' said an official source.

According to the Food Ministry’s three separate orders for Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, wheat should be procured at a relaxed norm with a value cut of Rs 5.31/quintal, from the minimum support price of Rs 2,125/quintal, if the grain has lustre loss of more than 10 per cent and within 80 per cent. There will be no value cut and MSP has to be paid in case lustre loss is up to 10 per cent.

The Centre has also allowed relaxation for shrivelled and broken grains up to 18 per cent, with a value cut of up to Rs 32/quintal, against the current specification of 6 per cent in all the three states.

'Wheat having shrivelled and broken grains up to 6 per cent will be procured without a value cut. But for a subsequent increase of 2 per cent each in shrivelled and broken grains, the value cut will be Rs 5.31/quintal,' said an official.

For instance, if shrivelled and broken grains make up 10 per cent of a 100 kg bag, a farmer will receive Rs 10.62/ quintal less than MSP, and in case it is 18 per cent, he will receive Rs 31.87/quintal lower.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala have welcomed the Centre’s decision to relax the uniform specifications of wheat, but have requested the Centre to reconsider the value cut. The state government has also said that till the Centre takes a decision, Haryana will bear the amount of the value cut and farmers will receive the full MSP.

The Haryana Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) President, Gurnam Singh Charuni, had earlier demanded withdrawal of the value cut decision.

The Punjab government has also welcomed the decision on relaxation. But unlike Haryana, it did not announce any relief on its own to compensate farmers on value cut. Punjab Food Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak was not available for comment.

thehindubusinessline.com

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