Chandigarh
20 February 2025
DIVYA AZAD
Roller Flour Millers Association of Punjab President Dharminder Singh Gill and Punjab Vice President Anil Popli, today stressed on the need to strengthen the industry so that it becomes a valuable asset to the farmers of the state. They appealed to the food minister and Secretary Food, Government of India to resolve the wheat supply crisis being faced by the industry in the state.
Roller Flour Millers Association of Punjab represents the interests of the Wheat Processing Industry in Punjab. The association organised an awareness workshop here today at Chandigarh Club, on issues which will add value to enhancing the profitability and legal compliance of the industry. The function was presided over by Vikas Garg IAS, Principal Secretary, Food & Civil Supplies, Government of Punjab.
They said, “The Roller flour milling industry is an MSME industry, and in Punjab it is a very important industry for the prosperity of the farmers of this Agrarian state. Wheat is a major crop of the state and it is the Flour Milling industry which adds value to it by converting it into Wheat flour which further reaches the tables of the consumers in different forms like chappati, bread, biscuits and other bakery items.”
They added, “The Wheat supply in being controlled by the Food Corporation Of India which we request should sell more Wheat in the market. Punjab is contributing 95% of its Wheat production to the central pool through Food Corporation of India hence the industry has to depend upon FCI in a big way for its requirement.
As per the reports the wheat sowing acreage this year is nearly 3-4 % more this year we can expect a better harvest we request the government to offload at least 10 LMT in the market through OMSS (Open Market Sale Scheme) and facilitate sufficient supply of Wheat in Punjab till Baisakhi that is 13th April when the new wheat crop is harvested.
The Association members passed a resolution and put forth several demands from the government, which included setting up a committee of the industry representatives and the Punjab Agricultural University to design and implement schemes for better participation of the industry with the farmers.
It was also proposed that special varieties of wheat should be developed/ promoted keeping in mind the application of their flour. “Punjab farmers are the biggest contributor to the central pool. We now also wish that the growers of Punjab move toward higher realization varieties”, they added.
“The Punjab farmer in order to increase his per acre earnings from wheat will also have to move towards growing specific varieties and adopt the best agricultural practices. The flour milling industry can work hand in hand with the government and the farmers so that the farmers can get a maximum sale price and not just minimum support price”, they added.
Topics that were discussed will be Legal Metrology (weights and measures), how to bring efficiency in Power consumption, Wheat Flour fortification, providing know-how on the latest quality testing equipment.
The workshop was attended by more than 50 Millers from the state. Amongst those present from Roller Flour Millers Association of Punjab included, Dharminder Singh Gill (President), Anil Popli (Vice President), Dinam Sood (General Secretary), Vipin Mittal (Finance Secretary) and Shubham Goel (Joint Secretary) and Advisers Vinod Mittal, Vikas Goel and Amarjeet Singh.
