Ludhiana: The farmers stuck at the local grain markets are in a state of unrest over the slow lifting of paddy, with around 47% of the procured crop still awaiting transport within a 72-hour window, going by a recent report.
Farmer unions have also been protesting the sluggish lifting, which they argue threatens their livelihoods. The last report, dated Oct 26, reveals that around 10% of the paddy that has arrived in the district’s markets remains unpurchased.

The district’s progressive lifting of paddy stands at 1.86 lakh metric tonnes, while the amount due for lifting within 72 hours totals approximately 3.27 lakh metric tonnes, leaving nearly 42.9% of paddy still to be cleared. In Khanna Grain Market, Asia's largest, Arhitya Manjot Singh expressed frustration, citing that since procurement began on Oct 8, only a small fraction of bags have been lifted, leaving around 10,000 bags in the open. Singh placed blame on both the central and state governments, accusing them of failing to clear space in godowns and being lax in taking proactive measures.
Meanwhile, progressive purchase in the district reached 4.88 lakh metric tonnes, accounting for 90.03% of arrivals, while 9.97% remains to be bought. Gurmeet Singh, a farmer from Ramgarh Nawapind, lamented delays in purchasing his two trolleys of paddy, attributing it to issues like moisture and hybrid varieties. “If rain comes, we’ll be ruined,” he said, reflecting fears of crop damage due to storage bottlenecks.
Lal Singh Rajewal, a farmer from Rajewal village, echoed the sentiment, sharing that his three trolleys of paddy have been waiting for procurement for five days.
In response, district food and supplies controller Geeta Bishambhu noted that a committee has been formed to explore additional godown hiring by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to clear storage space. Ludhiana district currently has 49 depots, with a total capacity of 6.4 lakh metric tonnes, including FCI and private godowns. She confirmed that the district is assessing an additional capacity of 14,600 metric tonnes for the upcoming Kharif marketing season.