Lifting slow, huge stocks of wheat pile up in Haryana grain markets

KARNAL: With lifting yet to gather speed, huge stocks of wheat have piled up in various grain markets in Karnal district.
As there is no space for unloading of fresh arrival, farmers are forced to spread the produce on roads leading to markets. Till Sunday evening, about 2.5 lakh quintals of wheat was yet to be lifted.
Around 15,000 quintal unsold wheat and several lakh bags of the food grain are lying in the Karnal grain market even as the meteorological department has issued a warning of rain and dust storm in several parts of the state for the next three days. There aren’t enough tarpaulin sheets to cover it all.
Four days ago, several thousands of quintal of wheat lying in the open at the local grain market got soaked, while fire had destroyed the standing crop over 200 acres two days ago.
The government data revealed that 81.26 lakh quintal of wheat has been procured at 28 grain markets, including sub-centre of Karnal district, but a large chunk of produce is yet to be lifted.
Out of the total, 15.13 lakh quintal of wheat has arrived in Karnal grain markets, but agencies have lifted only 12.50 lakh quintal of wheat. Adding to problems of farmers, some traders are allegedly purchasing wheat coming from Uttar Pradesh despite a ban on such a practice.
Vikram Singh, a farmer, said several lakhs of wheat bags are lying in the open in the grain market. He, however, said the procurement process is smooth.
Hakikat Rai, secretary-cum-executive officer, market committee, Karnal, said 15.13 lakh quintals of wheat had arrived in Karnal grain market and out of this, 12.50 lakh quintals of wheat had been procured by various agencies. Procurement agencies had been directed to speed up lifting.