Ludhiana: Wheat piles up in mandis due to slow lifting

Labourers cleaning wheat at a mandi in Punjab. (Source: PTI/File)

Slow pace of wheat lifting is leading to piling up of stock of the crop in grain markets in the state. So far 65 per cent of total grain that had reached the mandis has been lifted, and Rs 9373 crore paid to the farmers.

Among the mandis, Tarn Taran is the worst where only 24.35 per cent of the total grain has been lifted till now, followed by Faridkot with only 41.65 per cent lifting. The newly appointed Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Aashu, who was in Talwandi Sabo Wednesday, afternoon said, “Already 400 special trains for taking grains from Punjab to other states have been started by FCI, but CM Amarinder Singh has written to the MD of Food Corporation of India for engaging more trains, so as to end the lifting problem in mandis.”