JAMMU: With the advent of harvesting season, the Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, KK Sharma today inaugurated seasonal Wheat procurement centre at village Keso Mansa block Ramgrah, District Samba and other at Sohanjana in Block Mandal Phallan in Jammu District.
At Samba Director Agriculture D Inderjeet, Chief Agriculture Officer Samba, Ravinder Thaploo, SDO samba, Tilak Raj Sharma, Block Development Council Chairman, Darshan Singh, besides Sarpanches and local farmers were also present.
Speaking on the occasion the Advisor said that such seasonal centres are highly beneficial to the local farmers as an immediate relief from the middleman and distress sale of their produce. The farmers get direct money transferred in their account and Food Corporation of India also procures from such centres thereby increasing economic status of the farmers. He directed the concerned Agricultural officers to ensure that GOI order regarding MSP of wheat is followed across the region.
The Advisor said that the seasonal procurement centre setup in the block Ramgarh shall cater to the need of this border tehsil and it shall be beneficial to the local farmers in marketing their Agricultural produce.
The Advisor appealed farmers not to burn their crop residue/Parali, rather they should bury the roots of crop into the soil. He also asked them to religiously follow the protocols put in place in view of the COVID 19 while undertaking farming
Director Agriculture informed the Advisor that Govt of India has fixed the MSP for wheat at Rs 1925 and this season 52,000 MT yield of wheat crop is expected.
Besides putting locally available 15 Combine harvesters and 40 reapers/reaper cum binders the department has facilitated entry of more than 20 harvesters from Punjab through 24/7 facilitation centre established at Lakhanpur, he added.
Pertinently the Agriculture Department has asked all the Agriculturists to follow the govt instructions regarding safety in wake of covid-19 pandemic spread.
It is worthwhile to mention that these centres are opened by the Food Corporation of India with the support of Agriculture Department to procure wheat grain at MSP fixed by the GOI .Also to ensure minimum price to the farmers and prevention of distress sale or exploitation in the hands of private players Block Development Council Chairman on behalf of farmers and locals expressed his gratitude towards govt. for opening the new seasonal Mandi in their block and said that it shall be a boon not to local farmers but also to local habitants.
Enroute, the Advisor met several deputations of farmers who projected several issues especially the non-payment of compensation of last year’s crop,waiver of registration fee on the tractors being purchased by the farming community, the provision of Crop insurance and construction of permanent procurement centres.
Later, the Advisor also inaugurated another wheat grain procurement centre at Sohanjana Block Mandal Phallan in District Jammu.
Director Agriculture and other senior officers were present on the occasion.
