Karnal/Ambala, Oct. 18 -- As paddy harvesting nears its end, several mandis across Haryana remain overcrowded with tractor-trolleys lined up outside purchase centres due to slow lifting of procured stock. The delay, reportedly caused by a shortage of transport and labourers, has disrupted operations and forced farmers to dry their high-moisture produce outside the mandis.

The space crunch has become a major concern for arhtiyas, rice millers and authorities alike. "Due to slow lifting, there's no space to even enter the grain market," said Ajaypreet Singh, a farmer from Ambala. Another farmer, Sushil Sharma from Assandh in Karnal, said the long queues outside mandis have caused traffic congestion and increased the risk of road accidents....