Grading of foodgrains and oilseeds scheme

by Punjabnewswire4u 

CHANDIGARH, OCT 31

The Punjab Government has launched the scheme of grading of foodgrains & oilseeds in 89 markets of the state. While disclosing this, Chief Parlimentry Secretary Agricultur S Gurbachan Singh Babbehali said that under this scheme wheat, paddy, Toria (rape seed), Sarson(Mustard seed) and sunflower seeds are graded in the market before auction. Samples are drawn from the heaps of the produce for measuring different parameters, Such as moisture, dust and dirt, trash, weevil led, shriveled and damaged grains, grains of other varieties and other commodities and foreign matter etc. The grade cards are displayed on heaps before auction. Grading staff has been trained by the Government of India. The future programme includes laboratory analysis of important quality factors of commodities. The buyer shall be encouraged to pay price to the farmer on the basic of scientific information.

In an effort to ensure better remunerative price to the farmers for their quality product, the Punjab Government has also initiated Cotton Grading Scheme in the state. He said that this visual grading scheme has been launched in the 25 markets of the state. He said that three modern laboratories have also been set up for this purpose, one each at Rampuraphul, Malout and Mukatsar. Five more laboratories would be set up at Bathinda, Mansa, Abohar, Kotkapura, Gidderbaha with the help of Technology Mission on Cotton (Govt. of India).

He said that in these labs different quality Para- meters of cotton like fineness, maturity, strength, span length, ginning percentage & trash contents are numerically tested. The basic objective of grading is to ensure the remunerative price to producer and refine quality of product for the purchaser. He said that the grade is assigned to the produce (Cotton) before its sale so that farmers and purchasers must know the quality of the produce to fetch better remunerative price commensurate with quality. For farmers the grading tests are free whereas nominal fee is charged from the traders.