CHANDIGARH: Punjab is has exceeded the target of wheat procurement despite short  fall in yield due to untimely rains and delay in harvesting season.

Punjab on Thursday crossed the target of  contribution of 80 lakh metric tonnes(MT)T into the central pool. About 84 lakh MT wheat has already arrived in the mandis, the official sources said here.

With almost 5 lakh metric tonnes of wheat coming to the grain markets till date and May 31 being the last date of procurement, this figure is likely to cross 90 lakh MT.

While the state machinery may be rejoicing over the fact that it was after two years that Punjab has been able to meet its procurements figures, the farmers rue that while private players were kept out of the state market, the government did little to motivate them.

The official sources said that due to substantial price of wheat and timely payment has encouraged the farmers to bring all their yield in mandis.

Earlier, farmers used to hoard the crop with an eye on higher market price later in the year. The farmers however sore with the state government for not paying bonus to them. A famer leader said that Punjab government had demanded a bonus of Rs.200 per quintal from center but request was not conceded. He said that now it was duty of state government to bail out the farmers. He said that  Madhya Pradesh government was giving a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal and the Punjab Government is silent about it.

Another farmer, said, "As the Centre banned private player from picking up wheat from Haryana and Punjab, we lost at least Rs 200-300 per quintal.

Dr PS Rangi, consultant, Punjab Farmers' Commission, says, "More wheat will come to the mandis, as the belt comprising Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Kapurthala, Pathankot and Amritsar are still harvesting."

BS Sidhu, Director, Agriculture, stated, "This 90 lakh metric tonnes figure is not just speculation. The wheat arrival in Amritsar as on date is almost 1 lakh metric tonnes less than last year. Similarly, the shortfall in Gurdaspur is 1.4 lakh metric tonnes, Ferozepur 94,000 tonnes, Muktsar 90,000 tonnes, Mansa 65,000 tonnes and Bathinda 1.11 lakh tonnes. After these districts give us their share, the mandis will be overflowing."