Amritsar, August 2 (K.L. Jit Walia): Rajinder Salwan, President of the Rice Millers Association, has urged both the Punjab and Central Governments to address the serious challenges facing the state’s rice industry. He said that a massive stock of Parmal rice is lying in warehouses across Punjab, and the suspension of rice supplies to ethanol factories over the past one and a half to two months has created an acute storage crisis.
Speaking to the media, Salwan said that the arrival of the new paddy crop is approaching, but warehouses are already filled with Parmal rice. If the existing stock is not cleared in time, it could disrupt the procurement, storage, and milling of the new crop, causing losses not only to rice millers but also to farmers.
He explained that Parmal rice was previously being used for ethanol production, which helped reduce excess stocks in warehouses. However, with the suspension of supplies to ethanol plants, storage management has been severely affected, leading to financial losses for the rice industry.
Salwan emphasized that the rice industry is a vital part of Punjab’s economy, supporting millions of farmers, laborers, transporters, and other businesses. Therefore, the issue should not be allowed to worsen due to administrative or policy delays.
He appealed to both the Punjab Government and the Central Government to rise above political differences and prioritize the interests of farmers and the rice industry. If Parmal rice can be utilized for ethanol production, its supply to ethanol factories should be resumed immediately to ease pressure on warehouses, facilitate smooth procurement of the upcoming paddy crop, provide relief to the rice industry, and safeguard farmers’ economic interests.
He further warned that if the issue is not resolved promptly, the storage crisis could become even more severe during the upcoming paddy procurement season, with long-term consequences for both Punjab’s agriculture and the rice industry.
KL JIT WALIA
