Wheat growers can apply for gunny bags from today

Applications will be received through online Bardana application

LAHORE:

With this financial year’s wheat procurement season starting from April 22 (Monday), farmers will be able to apply for gunny bags through the online Bardana application from Saturday (today).

A spokesperson for the Punjab food department on Friday said the applications for the bags could be submitted through the Bardana app from 8:55 am on Saturday.

The spokesperson added that the app, developed by the Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB), would receive the applications from April 13 to 17.

A confirmation message will be sent to the farmers after verification by the PITB and Punjab Land Record Authority.

The farmers will be messaged through the Bardana app about the release of the gunny bags and the date of wheat collection.
The spokesperson said the gunny bags would be released from April 19.

He continued that the gunny bags would be distributed among the farmers on a first-come-first-served basis.

All arrangements have been completed for the purchase of wheat at the district level.

The Punjab food department has established 393 wheat procurement centres across the province, the spokesman said.

Wheat will be purchased from farmers at a fixed price of Rs3,900 per 40 kilogrammes

In addition to the cost of wheat, delivery charges of Rs30 per 100 kg will be paid to each farmer, the spokesperson continued.

He said the eligibility for the acquisition of gunny bags had been kept up to six acres to protect the small farmers.

According to the policy, flour mills, private sector and seed companies are also allowed to purchase wheat at the fixed rates.

A control room has been set up to address the complaints during the wheat procurement campaign.

The spokesperson said any complaint regarding the wheat procurement campaign could be reported to the authorities on the toll-free number, 080013505.

Recently while speaking to the media, the department’s deputy direc-tor, Shahid Khokhar, said the farmer could submit their applications through their android phones or visit nearby food centres for guidance.

He added that an awareness drive was being launched through mainstream and social media or traditional an¬nouncements by the department in areas where wheat was cultivated.

According to the PITB’ s website, the Punjab government buys 40% of the wheat produced in the province every year to stabilise the market price of the staple crop.

“The PITB has developed a centralised system based on an android application to verify and record data of farmers from whom wheat is purchased by the government,” it added.