Farmers seek relaxation in paddy moisture norms, block roads

: Farmers under the banner of seven unions on Monday staged protests by blocking roads in parts of Punjab against purchase agencies for not buying paddy with moisture content higher than permissible limit of 17%.

Farmer outfits, including Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU Ekta) and Kirti Kisan Union Punjab, have come together to hold the protests. “We have been demanding that the norm for 17% moisture content should be relaxed to 24% as the farmers have been facing several problems in selling paddy crop because of high moisture content,” BKU (Ekta) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said. Farmers blocked roads at 40 places in 13 districts from 12 to 3pm, he said.

The protests were held at Bathinda, Ludhiana, Moga, Sangrur, Barnala, Mansa, Faridkot, Fazilka, Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur, said Kokrikalan.

The protesters also criticised the government for delaying the sowing of paddy this season, claiming that it led to a loss of three quintals per acre. Earlier this year, the Punjab government issued a notification delaying paddy sowing by five days, to June 20, to save millions of litres of water, which may have otherwise been used by farmers.

A protesting farmer was also injured when a speeding car hit him at Ghudda after which farmers extended the protest. Police have registered case against an unidentified driver.

Kokrikalan said that delaying of paddy sowing has resulted in lowering the paddy yield by at least three quintals per acre so farmers should be compensated for this. Farmers said even as the Union government had announced hike of ₹200 per quintal in the minimum support price (MSP) of paddy, there has been a rise of only ₹180 per quintal.

The farmers claimed rice sellers cut the price of their crop by three to five percent over high moisture content. They also demanded the withdrawal of cases and rollback of fines imposed on farmers for burning stubble.