Punjab Newsline | Batala
Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak on Thursday inaugurated the government procurement of paddy at the Grain Market in Batala, marking the start of the 2026-27 procurement season.
Kataruchak initiated procurement of paddy brought by farmers Gurpreet Singh from village Dulat and Prabhjot Kaur. He assured farmers of smooth and hassle-free procurement and appealed to them to bring properly dried paddy to the mandis.
Minister said Punjab has set a target of procuring 180 lakh metric tonnes of paddy at ₹2,461 per quintal. So far, 1,887 mandis have been notified across the state.
He said a ₹42,786.68-crore Cash Credit Limit (CCL) has been approved for October to ensure timely payment to farmers. He added that adequate gunny bags and other arrangements have been made at the mandis.
Kataruchak also met farmers and commission agents and later reviewed procurement arrangements with officials of the concerned agencies.
