Batala, October 24, 2025 : Under the directions of Punjab’s Working President and MLA Sherry Kalsi, Manik Mehta, Chairman of the Market Committee Batala, reviewed the ongoing paddy procurement process at Dana Mandi Wadala Granthian.
He said that as part of the responsibility assigned by the Punjab Government and MLA Sherry Kalsi, he met with commission agents (arhtiyas) and officials at Dana Mandi Wadala Granthian to assess the paddy and basmati procurement process during the current season. He issued strict instructions to ensure that farmers do not face any kind of inconvenience in the grain market.
Chairman Manik Mehta stated that the Punjab Government has made all necessary arrangements in the grain markets to ensure the smooth functioning of the procurement process with farmers’ convenience as the top priority. The government has also ensured timely procurement, lifting, and payment for the crops.
He further appealed to farmers to adopt in-situ methods of crop residue management by mixing the leftover stubble in the soil before sowing wheat, or to use ex-situ methods by utilizing agricultural machinery for stubble management instead of burning it. He encouraged farmers to make bales of stubble rather than burning it in the fields.
Chairman Mehta also urged farmers to harvest paddy only when it is fully ripe and to bring only properly dried paddy to the mandis for sale. He informed that the government has fixed the moisture limit in paddy at 17%. If the moisture content exceeds this limit, the crop cannot be procured, which may cause inconvenience to farmers. Therefore, he advised all farmers to bring only dry produce to the mandis to ensure smooth procurement.
Summary:
Following directions from MLA Sherry Kalsi, Chairman Manik Mehta inspected the paddy procurement process in local mandis to ensure smooth operations and fair farmer payments.