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Questions and Answers
What is a primary short-term issue affecting paddy procurement in Punjab?
Which long-term issue has contributed significantly to the procurement problems in Punjab and Haryana?
How does the slow pace of paddy procurement affect farmers' harvesting practices?
What environmental issue may arise from delayed paddy procurement in Punjab and Haryana?
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What is the government's assurance regarding paddy procurement in Punjab and Haryana?
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What record-high stock of rice is currently reported in government warehouses?
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What issue related to millers is contributing to the procurement problems?
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What immediate solution is deemed insufficient for resolving the procurement issues?
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Study Notes
Paddy Procurement Issues in Punjab and Haryana
- Slow Pace of Procurement: The procurement of paddy in Punjab is moving slowly due to a combination of short-term and long-term challenges.
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Short-term Challenges:
- Lack of Storage Space: Punjab's warehouses are still holding 119 tonnes of rice from last year's 124.1 tonnes of milled grain. This lack of storage space is hindering procurement of the new crop.
- FCI Inaction: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is not moving the rice out of Punjab, leading to further storage issues.
- Miller Hesitation: Millers aren't willing to lift paddy brought by farmers for state agencies because of uncertainty about timely delivery of custom-milled rice.
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Long-term Challenges:
- Policy Failure: There's a failure to move Punjab and Haryana away from paddy cultivation, even though other states can meet India's rice needs.
- Excessive Paddy Cultivation: Punjab and Haryana have record-high paddy cultivation areas at 32.4 lakh and 16.4 lakh hectares, respectively, leading to overproduction.
- Overproduction: India has record-high rice stocks (386.8 tonnes) in government warehouses.
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Farmer Impact:
- Tardy Procurement: Farmers are facing delays in paddy procurement, leaving large quantities of grain unlifted in mandis.
- Slowed Harvesting: Due to slow procurement, farmers are delaying the harvesting of their ripened paddy.
- Sowing Window: The delay in procurement is narrowing the window for sowing the next wheat crop, which needs to be planted before mid-November for a desired harvest by early-April before temperatures rise. This could lead to farmers using stubble burning to clear fields, negatively impacting air quality in North India.
- Government Response: Minister Pralhad Joshi has assured farmers that all grains will be procured by the end of November.
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Conclusion:
- Increasing storage space is an immediate but incomplete solution. The problem needs long-term policy changes.
- The overproduction and lack of storage are impacting farmers and the environment.
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Description
This quiz explores the current challenges faced in the procurement of paddy in Punjab and Haryana. It covers both short-term issues like storage shortages and inaction from the Food Corporation of India, as well as long-term challenges related to agricultural policies. Test your understanding of these critical topics affecting farmers and the rice supply chain.
