Paddy ready, procurement a week away: Farmers fear distress sale below MSP

Punjab has allowed farmers to transplant paddy from June 1, but the official procurement season will not start until October 1, leaving growers with a potential distress sale situation. This is due to the fact that several early-maturing paddy varieties are already ready for harvest, while the government's procurement window remains unchanged.

Farmers growing short-duration varieties, such as PR-126 and hybrids like 7501, 7301 and 134, are concerned about being forced to sell their crops below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) set at Rs 2,461 per quintal for the 2026-27 season. Last year's heavy rains and floods caused delays in crop maturity and low procurement, but this year's deficient rainfall and lack of prolonged rain have allowed early-maturing varieties to mature as expected.

However, the government has not advanced the procurement date, leaving farmers in a dilemma between selling to private buyers at rates below MSP or waiting for government procurement.