Harvesting of paddy crop is gradually picking up pace in the district and nearly 19,000 metric tonnes (MT) of the crop has reached the grain markets so far, marking the beginning of the procurement season. A total of 48 markets have been made operational across the district to facilitate smooth procurement.

Officials said that while paddy has started arriving in several mandis, it is yet to pick up pace as harvesting of only the early ripening varieties has started so far. Another reason for the slow arrival of produce is the high moisture content in freshly harvested paddy, which makes it unsuitable for immediate sale. Farmers are, therefore, waiting for the grain to dry properly before bringing it to the markets.

Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney said the procurement process is going

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