Haryana farmers dealing with low basmati, cotton prices blame ‘faulty’ govt policies
and cotton farmers are claiming that they are not getting remunerative prices for their agricultural produce.
They say the rates for basmati varieties such as Pusa 1509, Pusa 1121 and Pusa 1718 have gone as down as ₹700 per quintal and they are selling their cotton crop between ₹5,050 and ₹5,150 per quintal against its minimum selling price (MSP) of ₹5,450.
Basmati crop is procured by private agencies and the PR variety of paddy is being purchased by the government agencies, which are said to be dragging their feet.
The central government has announced ₹5,450 per quintal (₹5,550 for premium quality) MSP for cotton while the MSP for PR paddy variety is ₹1,835 per quintal. Expressing resentment, basmati growers say they are fetching ₹2,700 per quintal for Pusa 1121 variety and ₹2,450 for the Pusa 1718 variety while the same were sold between ₹3,500 and ₹4,000 last year.
Surender Singh, a farmer from Madina village in Rohtak, said he sold around 75 quintals of Pusa 1121 at ₹2,625 per quintal, while the same variety had fetched ₹3,470 per quintal last year.
“The government is procuring only PR variety of paddy, while basmati is purchased by private agencies. They fleece farmers due to no control of the government over its prices. Last year, basmati had given us profit, but this time PR variety is more profitable. Due to low prices, we are losing about ₹12,000 per acre this time,” he added.
Ved Pal, a farmer from Baroda in Sonepat, said commission agents had purchased around 48 quintals of PR variety paddy from him at ₹1,770 per quintal, ₹65 per quintal less by citing ‘more moisture content’. “The commission agents are purchasing PR paddy variety from only those farmers who had registered their crop online through government portal. This time, 30% of our crop was affected due to incessant rain and the remaining produce is being purchased at low rate,” Pal lamented.
Ashutosh Mittal, a trader from Sirsa, said prices of basmati have fallen because the US has imposed sanctions on Iran, which was a major importer of basmati from India. “This has affected the farmers in Haryana because export of premium quality rise has been reduced to 10%,” he added.
FARMERS ‘FORCED’ TO SELL COTTON ₹400 LESS THAN THE MSP
Cotton growers also claim of sharing similar plight. They say they are forced to sell their produce between ₹5,050 and ₹5,100 per quintal against ₹5,450 per quintal MSP. As per farmers, while government agencies are delaying the procurement process, private players are ‘openly looting’ them. Vikas Dhaterwal from Bhiwani’s Garwa village said he had sown cotton on around four acres of land.
“The government has not purchased cotton through its agencies and private players are exploiting the situation for their vested interests. I had to sell my cotton produce for ₹5,120 per quintal,” he rued. Pardeep Sheoran, a farmer from Dadri’s Mandi, said, “I wonder Cotton .”
Commission agents are buying PR paddy from those farmers who have registered themselves on government portal. VED PAL, a paddy farmer
The government has not purchased cotton through its agencies and private players are exploiting the situation. VIKAS DHATERWAL, a cotton farmer
‘GOVT FAILED TO PROTECT OUR INTEREST’
“Around seven years ago, farmers used to get up to ₹7,000 per quintal for their cotton produce. By not increasing the price, successive governments have failed to protect interests of the farming community,” Sheoran added.