Haryana: Mustard growers forced to sell produce to traders below MSP

Even as the government agencies have started procurement operations, there is no relief to the mustard growers, who are being forced to sell the oilseed to private traders below the minimum support price (MSP) of ₹5,450 per quintal.

The farmers and arhtiyas blame the several conditions imposed by the government agencies for the procurement, which cannot be fulfilled. Most of the produce coming to the mandis was being procured by private traders.

“I had to sell my produce of three and a half acres to private traders at ₹4,950 per quintal, causing me a loss of around ₹6,000 per acre,” said a farmer Rajesh Kamboj.

The arhtiyas said that the government agencies are not procuring mustard seeds having oil content below 38% and moisture content above 8%. Around 90% of the mustard seed coming to the mandi cannot fulfil these conditions, arthtiyas said.

Moreover, the arhtiyas are also interested in selling the produce to government agencies as they do get any commission, while the private traders are paying them 2.25% of the value.

Talking to Hindustan Times, Sohan Lal, a commission agent at the Ladwa grain market, said the government agencies are not buying mustard having moisture content above 8%, which is why the farmers are not selling it to government agencies. “The farmers, who are not meeting these conditions, prefer to sell it to private traders at ₹4,800 to ₹4,900 per quintal. Also, the government agencies are not paying any commission to agents,” said another commission agent, pleading anonymity.

The farmers said that the government procurement agencies are buying the mustard as per the registrations on the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ (MFMB) portal, which the government officials said was a must condition to sell the produce at MSP.

Arun Kumar Ahuja, general manager, procurement and warehousing division of the Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (Hafed), said that they were procuring the mustard as per the norms of the government of India. “We have revoked the condition of 38% oil content. We do not pay any commission to arhtiyas as the farmers, who are registered on the MFMB portal, can directly sell their produce to our purchase centres at MSP”, he added.

The recent rainfall has also slowed procurement operations. The daily procurement figures by government agencies have come down to around 100 MT.

As per the figures, the HAFED has procured 250 MT at MSP commercially and 587 MT under the Price Support Scheme.