Amid the dispute between the rice millers and Food Corporation of India (FCI) over pending delivery of Custom Milled Rice (CMR), farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni on Thursday demanded that the state government must make alternative arrangements.
Citing media reports, Charuni said that the delivery of 6 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of CMR related to the 2025-26 paddy procurement season is currently pending and the issue must be resolved.
“It has been reported that the FCI has met Haryana’s allocated procurement target of 36 lakh tonnes, despite the central government extending the deadline for rice deposition to September 30. In this situation, the government must clarify—before the upcoming paddy procurement season begins—how the pending CMR delivery from the previous year will impact the current procurement system,” the farmer leader said.
Charuni also asked the government to ensure that the procurement and lifting of farmers’ crops would be ensured if rice millers are unable to accept the paddy or if a strike-like situation arises.
He said that if rice millers are facing issues due to the previous year’s CMR delivery or any other administrative reason, the government and relevant agencies must resolve the matter.
{{/usCountry}}He said that if rice millers are facing issues due to the previous year’s CMR delivery or any other administrative reason, the government and relevant agencies must resolve the matter.
{{/usCountry}}“Under no circumstances should farmers be forced to sell their paddy crops to private traders at throwaway prices. The government should prepare alternative arrangements well in advance. If, for any reason, millers are unable to accept the paddy, government agencies should ensure adequate storage, temporary storage, and lifting arrangements at their own level so that farmers’ crops do not get stuck at the mandis,” he demanded.
Charuni also sought an early paddy purchase for the 2026-27 kharif marketing season from September 15, 2026. He said that comprehensive arrangements for seamless procurement, timely payment, and timely lifting of crops from the mandis be ensured before the procurement process begins.
Last year, the procurement was preponed from October 1 to September 22. Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini officially kicked-off the operations from Ladwa grain market in Kurukshetra.
The farmer leader also drew the government’s attention to the practical difficulties farmers face due to the biometric system, implemented by the government during procurement last year.
Charuni said that under the traditional system, a farmer’s crop arriving at the mandi before the start of government procurement would undergo processes—managed by the commission agents—such as drying, safe storage, or transportation to the rice mill; the procurement would then be officially recorded once the government process began.
“Now, the biometric system threatens to create practical difficulties throughout this process. Therefore, commencing government procurement on September 15 would be the most effective solution in the farmers’ interest, preventing unnecessary hassle,” he said.
He also demanded an impartial inquiry into the discrepancies in ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ data, suggesting a reduced acreage for non-basmati paddy, but an increase in the number of registered farmers.