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Poor turnout on first day of mustard procurement in Haryana
Many farmers did not turn up as they did not receive the government’s message asking them to bring their produce to the mandis
Few farmers brought their crop to mandis on the first day of mustard procurement in Bhiwani, Jind, Dadri and Mahendergarh districts on Wednesday.
Farmers’ union leader Balbir Singh Takhan, who visited Bhiwani’s Behal Mandi, said, “Many farmers failed to turn up as they did not receive the government’s message asking them to bring their produce to the mandis.”
A farmer, Ram Chander of Dadri’s Ranila village, said he had brought 40 quintals of mustard to the grain market but was still waiting to sell it. He, however, appreciated the government and arhtiyas’ efforts to procure grain amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
“Hafed and marketing officials have assured us that they will start procurement process by tomorrow,” Takhan said.
Sushil Kumar, a commission agent from Bhiwani’s Behal, said, “We refused to buy mustard as the government is not making us handling agent on paper.”
Village heads purchase mustard at rural centres
After arthtiyas refused to purchase mustard at few rural purchase centres, Bhiwani administration authorised four village heads to buy the farmers’ produce.
When this HT correspondent visited Mitthi, Sidhanwa, Paju and Kurl villages, he found that the centres there lacked basic amenities. However, farmers and village heads had put their best efforts and initiated procurement process. The sarpanches claimed that they were facing issue of weak internet connection, but farmers were cooperating with them.
Amit Sangwan, a farmer from Bhiwani’s Mitthi village, said he had brought 40 quintals of mustard to the mandi and local sarpanch procured his produce at ₹4,425.
Hariyawas sarpanch and Sidhanwa procurement centre in-charge Sunil Sheoran said, “We bought mustard from 10 farmers in two shifts. We will put all our efforts to purchase farmers’ produce even with limited resources. The farmers covered their faces and maintained social distancing at mandi,” he added.
Bhiwani DC Ajay Kumar said they had started the procurement process at 24 out of 32 centres.
“50 farmers will be allowed to sell their crop at the bigger grain markets and 10 at the rural centres. There were few concerns of commission agents in Behal, Digawa and Loharu grain markets, which were later resolved. Four village panchayats initiated procurement process in the district today for the first time in the history of Haryana after arhitiyas refused to purchase from these centres. We will start procurement at the remaining eight centres in a couple of days,” he added.
Tosham MLA Kiran Choudhry said farmers at few centres in her constituency were not issued gate passes.
“If there weren’t any arrangements at purchasing centres, why were the farmers even called there? I want to ask agriculture minister why did he reduce the number of mandis in the district during the last stage?” she asked.
