📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Hiart
Agriculture
Farmers worry as rice lifting stalls in Punjab markets due to space crunch and bad weather
✍️ Amar Ujala · Amritsar
🗓 09 Oct 2026, 08:45 AM
👁 10
Despite a bumper arrival of paddy in Punjab’s mandis, lifting operations have slowed because of insufficient storage space and adverse weather, heightening anxiety among farmers.
Punjab’s grain markets have received an unusually large influx of paddy this season, but the pace of lifting the crop to storage and processing facilities has markedly slowed. Traders report that trucks are queuing at the mandis, yet only a fraction of the grain is being moved daily.
The slowdown is attributed to two main factors: a shortage of covered storage sheds to accommodate the volume and recent bouts of rain that make outdoor handling risky. Moisture from the weather can damage the grain, prompting operators to wait for drier conditions before proceeding.
Farmers, many of whom depend on timely sales to meet cash‑flow needs, are expressing growing concern that delays could lead to spoilage or force them to sell at lower prices. Market officials have acknowledged the constraints and are monitoring the situation, while urging authorities to expedite temporary storage solutions.
The situation underscores the vulnerability of the agricultural supply chain to infrastructure gaps and weather variability, especially during peak harvest periods.
The slowdown is attributed to two main factors: a shortage of covered storage sheds to accommodate the volume and recent bouts of rain that make outdoor handling risky. Moisture from the weather can damage the grain, prompting operators to wait for drier conditions before proceeding.
Farmers, many of whom depend on timely sales to meet cash‑flow needs, are expressing growing concern that delays could lead to spoilage or force them to sell at lower prices. Market officials have acknowledged the constraints and are monitoring the situation, while urging authorities to expedite temporary storage solutions.
The situation underscores the vulnerability of the agricultural supply chain to infrastructure gaps and weather variability, especially during peak harvest periods.