New Delhi, 17 April (H.S.): The Central Government has approved immediate relaxations in wheat procurement rules at the request of the Punjab government, providing significant relief to farmers in Punjab and Chandigarh whose crops were damaged by unseasonal rains and hailstorms. The revised norms will apply from the beginning of the Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2026–27, ensuring smoother purchases at mandis and reducing distress sales by affected growers.

Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Prahlad Singh Joshi, announced on Friday that the Centre decided on the relaxations after field teams visited all districts on April 10 to assess the situation following an official request from the Punjab government dated April 9. The move aims to alleviate farmers’ hardships and prevent forced sales at distressed prices amid rain‑damaged stocks.

Under the eased norms, the proportion of wheat showing loss of lustre due to rain has been allowed to rise up to 70 per cent, instead of the earlier stricter limit. The threshold for shrivelled and broken grains has been increased from 6 per cent to 15 per cent, while the total share of damaged and lightly damaged grains together will not exceed 6 per cent of the lot.

The government has directed that wheat purchased under these relaxed standards be stored separately, with independent accounting to track quality and movement. Priority will be given to the sale of such wheat to minimise prolonged storage and avoid further deterioration.

Punjab has also been instructed to shoulder the responsibility for any decline in the quality of this stock during storage, as well as the financial implications arising from the relaxed norms. Officials emphasised that the decision will help ensure smooth and uninterrupted procurement operations in mandis, while safeguarding the interests of farmers hit by adverse weather.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar