Bajra purchase proving to be a double-edged sword for Haryana
CHANDIGARH: Encouraging farmers to cultivate Bajra, one of the crops at the heart of Haryana’s crop diversification drive, and procuring this kharif crop under the minimum support price (MSP) has started putting the Manohar Lal Khattar-led Bharatiya Janata Party-Jannayak Janta Party government in a catch-22 situation.
Last year, Haryana government paid Rs 2,150 MSP per quintal and procured 7.66 lakh metric tonne (MT) bajra, up from 3.10 lakh MT in 2019 and over 1.18 lakh MT in 2018.
As a result of this push to promote bajra in the last four years, the area under cultivation of this millet has increased manifold in the state. For example, from over 4 lakh hectare under bajra cultivation in 2018, the area under this crop has increased to around 5.70 lakh hectare this season.
Similarly, Haryana produced about 13.50 lakh MT bajra last year against 12 lakh MT in 2019 and nearly nine lakh MT in 2018, according to official data.
Haryana prides itself as the only state in the country where the government procures bajra under MSP. In his budget speech, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar had set the target of procuring 7 lakh MT bajra, at an MSP of Rs 2,250 per quintal, during the current procurement season that began on October 1 and will continue till November 15. Asked if the state government has fixed any target to procure bajra, Anurag Rastogi, additional chief secretary (ACS, food, civil supplies and consumer affairs), said: “No target has been fixed, but the purchase (by the government) will take place for price stability.”
Bajra is grown in southern rain-fed parts of Haryana, and it is considered a good alternative of paddy. Groundwater table of Haryana has been dipping to alarming levels and paddy cultivation, among other reasons, is largely blamed for this.
In a bid to persuade farmers to switch over to alternative crops in place of water-guzzler paddy, Haryana government has linked cultivation of more varieties of pulses and cereals with the financial-incentive driven crop-diversification drive.
High input, low yield for govt
Government sources say the push for Bajra cultivation and its procurement under MSP is turning out to be a double-edged weapon for the government.
While the shelf life of bajra is short and it is susceptible to pest attack, its demand and consumption is limited within the state. And to clear the stocks, government included bajra in the public distribution system (PDS).
Sources say of a total 7.66 lakh MT bajra was procured in the 2020 kharif season, about 1.50 lakh MT was distributed through PDS.
“The government auctioned the procured bajra at a rate ranging from Rs 1,250 to Rs 1,350 despite procuring it at Rs 2,150 per quintal,” an official said.
As per rough estimates of the agriculture department, the government had to bear a loss of nearly Rs 850 crore last year on account of distress sale of bajra, which is also used as feed in poultry farms, officials involved in Bajra procurement said. They said the rise in bajra production and the government’s decision to give assured price is turning out to be a drain on the state resources. Yet another problem is that of bajra being cultivated in Punjab and Rajasthan where it is not procured under MSP.
“Due to the yet-to-be fixed loopholes in Meri Fasal Mera Bayora portal and e-kharid system, private traders from other states manage to sell bajra on MSP in Haryana with the help of local farmers, ahrtiyas and mandi officials and the production last year crossed the targets of the government,” said a senior official of the agriculture department.
Why crop is part of Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana this time
It is in this backdrop, sources say, that the state government opted to include bajra in the ‘Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana’ from this kharif season.
The decision has come in for a lot of flak from the farmers and opposition parties. The Congress has dubbed the move as an excuse to invite private players, while apprehensive farmers are keeping their fingers crossed due to a dip in the price in open market.
“The government is shying away from procuring bajra and wants to deprive farmers from their right of MSP. The Bhavantar Bharpayee policy has already failed to benefit vegetable growers. It’s not going to help Bajra growers,” Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader said.
As farmers are complaining about fall in the prices up to Rs 1,300 per quintal, the government says it will pay farmers the difference in price up to Rs 600 per quintal on average of the yield.
But this difference in price (average market price and MSP) of bajra will be paid after verification of crops of registered farmers on the ‘Meri Fasal, Mera Byora’ portal. If the given details are found correct, farmers will be given Rs 600 per quintal on the average yield. In kharif season 2021, 2.71 lakh farmers have registered on the ‘Meri Fasal, Mera Byora’ portal for bajra.
“Everybody knows the market prices are around Rs 1,200 to Rs 1,300 against Rs 2,250 MSP. How will Rs 600 per quintal compensate the difference of Rs 1,000. This is a conspiracy to end the MSP,” said Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC general secretary.