The government of Punjab will appeal the Centre to relax wheat procurement norms and special financial package to be provided to the farmers whose crops have been damaged, as per information provided by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.
The state would appeal to prevail upon the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to relax stringent norms whereby grain with moisture content above 14% is considered unfit for procurement. The state government will also set up drying facilities at market yards to help farmers.
The unseasonal rains have not only damaged standing wheat crop at several places, but has also likely to increase the moisture content in grains once the crop starts arriving in mandis next week.