Haryana: Mustard Farmers Stuck in Bind After Govt Stops Procurement

Farmers in Haryana are currently facing a difficult situation as the government has ceased the procurement of mustard, leaving them without a reliable means of selling their crops. Protests have broken out over the past two days in the districts of Bhiwani, Charkhi Dadri, Mahendergarh, and Sirsa, as growers demand a resolution to the issue.

Previously, the government had been purchasing mustard at a rate of Rs. 5,450 per quintal, but the current market prices have dropped significantly to only Rs. 4,400 per quintal.

Sombir Singh, a farmer hailing from Kasni village in Bhiwani, reported that he had obtained a mandi gate pass and had unloaded 40 quintals of mustard from his vehicle at a commission agent's shop in Behal mandi on Saturday. However, he was unable to sell his produce as the government had halted the procurement process on April 30.

"The decision made by the government will cost me a loss of Rs. 40,000, and many other farmers like myself will also have to bear the consequences. The commission agent has given me two options; either sell my produce at Rs. 4,400 per quintal or wait for the procurement process to restart," he added.

According to Dayanand Punia, who serves as the secretary of the All-India Kisan Sabha, numerous farmers were issued gate passes and tokens necessary for selling their produce, however, their online procurement could not be processed due to the government's decision to halt mustard procurement

He further added, “Farmers had enrolled their crops on online platform, even though their produce was not procured. However, their hopes were shattered by a hailstorm this year, and now the government's choice to halt procurement has added insult to injury. If the government does not resume the purchase of mustard, we will initiate protests.”

According to two anonymous senior administrative officials from Bhiwani and Dadri, NAFED purchases 25% of the estimated total production of mustard crops every year.

The officials stated, “This year, 34 lakh quintals of mustard were bought, but the state government did not guarantee the purchase of the remaining produce through HAFED and the warehouse corporation. Mandi officials were not instructed to halt the procurement process, so they issued tokens to farmers, and procurement was halted once NAFED reached its target. This situation arose due to poor communication between the purchasing agencies and the government.”     

According to Haryana's Agriculture Minister JP Dalal, the government has pledged to buy all the mustard grains that have been registered, and he intends to request the chief minister to resume the procurement of mustard for a brief period.

-Hindustan Times 

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