Gurpreet Singh :- With the wheat procurement season set to begin, the Punjab Government has accelerated its preparations but is grappling with a major storage challenge. The state has urged the Government of India to immediately lift the old grain stock lying in warehouses to make room for the incoming harvest.
Expressing concern, officials warned that any delay in clearing the existing stock could severely disrupt the procurement process.
As per estimates, around 125 lakh metric tonnes of wheat are expected to arrive in mandis this season, while the state currently has storage capacity for only about 100 lakh metric tonnes.
This leaves a significant shortfall, with space constraints likely to impact the smooth handling and storage of nearly 22 lakh metric tonnes of wheat. The situation has raised alarm within the administration, which fears logistical bottlenecks if timely action is not taken.
The state government has emphasized that immediate lifting of old stock is critical to ensure uninterrupted procurement operations and to prevent distress for farmers during the peak arrival period.
