Says, Farmers not receiving fair procurement prices in mandis; AAP government fails to compensate affected cultivators
Punjab Newsline, Jalandhar-
All India Congress Committee Secretary, former Education Minister, and MLA Padma Shri Pargat Singh today visited the grain market at flood-affected Kukkar Pind. He inspected the paddy arriving in the mandi and listened to the grievances of farmers struggling to sell their produce. He alleged that the Punjab government has failed to provide adequate procurement facilities and ensure fair purchase of crops in mandis.
Expressing deep concern over the widespread crop damage and reduced yields across the state due to this year’s floods, Pargat Singh pointed out that only about 30–32% of the paddy harvest had been completed by October, while the remainder still stands unharvested. He alleged that in many regions, farmers are being compelled to sell their produce below the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Citing a media report, the former Education Minister warned that Punjab’s farmers are staring at potential losses amounting to approximately Rs 10,000 crore due to a significant drop in paddy production. The Food and Civil Supplies Department has also reduced the state’s procurement target for the current season from 185 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) to 150 LMT. This decline—approximately 20%—is the lowest crop yield since 2016, when only 140 lakh million tonnes were procured.
Pargat Singh urged the Aam Aadmi Party government and Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to ensure that all farmers receive the notified MSP for their crops and that compensation for damaged crops is released without delay.
He said that nearly 3.5 to 4 lakh acres of paddy fields in Punjab were submerged during the recent floods, with around 37% of the total crop damaged. The resultant losses are estimated to exceed Rs 7,500 crore. The worst-hit districts include Tarn Taran, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Jalandhar, and Ferozepur, while crop damage was also significant in Amritsar, Jalandhar and Mansa.
Pargat Singh added that the average paddy yield in Punjab, typically above 30 quintals per acre, has dropped by 10–15% due to floods and heavy rainfall. In most regions, yields have fallen to just 15–20 quintals per acre, reflecting a 50–55% decline. In severely flood-affected areas, over 90% of standing crops have been destroyed, leading to per-acre losses of nearly Rs 30,000. Farmers, he said, are finding it difficult even to pay the rent for leased farmland.
He further stated that after the floodwater subsided, several areas remained covered under 1–3 feet of silt and sand, rendering large tracts of farmland unusable. Wheat sowing in these regions is at serious risk until the soil recovers.
Highlighting another major concern, Pargat Singh alleged that farmers are unable to access DAP fertilizer through official channels and are being forced to buy it at inflated prices—ranging from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000 per bag—from private dealers. Farmers are also being coerced into purchasing additional micro-nutrients along with the fertilizer. Punjab is currently facing an estimated shortage of 200,000 tonnes of DAP this season. He demanded that subsidized DAP fertilizer be made available to farmers without delay.