Ludhiana, Oct. 19 -- Despite a month into the paddy procurement season, merely 14% of paddy crops have been procured in grain markets across Ludhiana district which stood at 2.39 lakh metric tonnes, against this year's target of 16.56 lakh metric tonnes, officials familiar with the matter said. The official deadline for paddy procurement in the district is November 30.

Officials attribute the sluggish procurement to a sharp decline in paddy arrivals at the grain markets, primarily caused by unseasonal rainfall that hit the district during the critical harvest period.

A senior official from the district food and civil supplies department said," The erratic weather not only damaged standing crops but also delayed harvesting in several par...