Paddy glut in grain markets, farmers waiting for buyers
KARNAL: Overflowing grain markets in paddy-sowing belts of Haryana present a gloomy picture of distressed farmers who are finding it difficult to sell their produce despite a steep fall in the prices.
The dreams of a bumper harvest have now turned into a nightmare for paddy growers, as the prices of all long-grained aromatic varieties have dropped to Rs 2,500 to Rs 2,700 per quintal. Even as the decline in prices has caused a loss of about Rs 15,000 to Rs 20000 per acre, there are no buyers of basmati varieties in the mandis.
“After waiting for three days, I sold my produce (duplicate basmati) at a price of Rs 2,360 per quintal, which is Rs 900 less than the last year,” says Surender Singh, a farmer sitting beside a heap of paddy in Ladwa grain market of Kurukshetra district.
Similarly, there are no buyers of parmal varieties as the government agencies have not been procuring these varieties at the minimum support price (MSP) for the past three days, giving sleepless nights to farmers.
“There are no buyers of parmal varieties and we are unable to sell our produce for the past three days as the government procurement agencies did not procure paddy after October 26,” Gurpal Singh of Kurukshetra, whose produce of three acres was lying unsold in the mandi.
Though chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has announced that the government will procure the entire produce of all the farmers, there is no relief in sight for the distressed farmers.
Meanwhile, officials of the Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB) are blaming the high yield for the farmers’ agony as they say that the procurement agencies could not procure the entire produce as the set target has already been achieved.
“This year the yield was 15% more than the last year. That’s why the procurement agencies have not been able to procure the entire produce. Now, the agencies are waiting for directions to resume procurement so that the remaining paddy could be procured,” said an official of HSAMB, seeking anonymity.
BJP FARED POORLY IN PADDY-SOWING BELTS
In the recently concluded assembly elections, the ruling BJP lost most of the seats in the paddysowing belts of the state in Karnal, Panipat, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Yamunanagar and Ambala districts.
The saffron party tasted defeat in several seats, including Mullana, Sadhaura, Shahbad, Radaur, Ladwa, Nilokheri, Assandh, Samalkha, Israna, Guhla and Pundri assembly segments.
BJP candidates won by very thin margins in the remaining seats of Indri, Pehowa, Thanesar and Kaithal.
“The BJP had to face the ire of both farmers and commission agents. The ruling party’s insistence on implementing the direct payment option agitated arhtiyas and the failure to ensure smooth procurement irked farmers,” said Praveen Kumar, a commission agent of Nilokheri grain market.
THERE ARE NO BUYERS OF PARMAL VARIETIES AS THE GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE NOT BEEN PROCURING THE CROP AT MSP FOR THE PAST THREE DAYS