As wheat arrivals pick up, procurement improves in Haryana mandis
Farmers and arhtiyas flay the Haryana government for its decision to impose a value cut in MSP of wheat having shrivelled and broken grains. As the arrival of wheat picks up in Haryana mandis, procurement operations have improved
With the arrival of wheat picking up in Haryana mandis, government agencies have now improved the procurement operations.
As per the figures of the state government, a total of 6.4 lakh MT wheat has been procured by government agencies till Tuesday and around 2 lakh MT was procured on Thursday, whereas the total arrival of wheat in the mandis has reached around 12 lakh MT. The maximum 1.78 lakh MT of wheat has been procured in the mandis of Karnal district, 45,673 MT in Kurukshetra district, and 26,851 MT in the mandis of Panipat district.
The Union government has announced relaxation in the uniform specifications of wheat procurement in view of lustre loss or shrivelled and broken grains due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms.
However, the move has agitated farmers and arhtiyas as they slammed the government’s decision to impose a value cut in the MSP of wheat having shrivelled and broken grains above specified limits. As per the notification, the limit of shrivelled and broken grains is being relaxed up to 18% against the existing limit of 6% under uniform specifications with one-fourth of full value cut for every additional relaxation of 2%. The state government has to deduct imposed value cut from the MSP of ₹2,125 per quintal while making payments to farmers as value cut of ₹5.31 per quintal will be deducted on wheat with broken grains from 6 to 8%, ₹10.62 on above 8 to 10%, ₹15.93 above 10 to 12%, ₹21.25 above 12 to 14%, ₹26.56 on above 14 to 16% and ₹31.87 above 16 to 18%. While there will be no value cut in the wheat having lustre loss up to 10% and grains up to the limit of lustre loss in wheat containing above 10% up to 80% affected kernels will be purchased with one-fourth of full value cut on flat basis and ₹5.31 per quintal on wheat having lustre loss grains above 10 to 80%. But both damaged and slightly damaged grain altogether shall not exceed 6%.
BKU Charuni to protest deduction
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) president Guranm Singh Charuni has given a call to hold protests at all grains markets of the state on April 13 against the government’s new rules for procurement with deductions.
Charuni flayed the Haryana chief minister and deputy chief minister for making claims that the Centre has relaxed procurement norms alleging that the Haryana government was misleading the farmers and the government is imposing deductions in the name of poor-quality grains.
“We have seen the notification of deductions and we have decided to hold protests across the state by blocking roads in front of all grain markets of the state on Apil 13,” Charuni said.
Govt should compensate farmers: Arhtiyas
Meanwhile, the Haryana Arhtiyas Association on Tuesday demanded that the government should bear losses and compensate the farmers for the luster loss, discolouring and shrivelled grain.
The association members held a meeting in Karnal and slammed the government’s decision of procurement with deductions. The said that instead of providing relief to farmers who are suffering losses due to the rains, now the government is harassing farmers and arhtiyas. The Association demanded that the government should bear the losses and deductions to support farmers.
Khattar thanks Centre
On the other hand, Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has thanked the Prime Minister for the relaxation in the procurement saying that he had spoken to the Union minister for food, public distribution and consumer affairs over the phone, who assured that the government would relax the procurement norms for wheat. The chief minister thanked the centre for relaxation in the uniform specifications of wheat during procurement in view of lustre loss or shrivelled and broken grains in rabi crops, especially wheat crop, due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms.
Amid the reports of protest call by farmers and arhtiyas, the Haryana CM has requested the Central government to withdraw the value cut.
AAP’s north Haryana convener Chitra Sarwara on Tuesday claimed that the government has conducted a girdawari of nearly 2.5 lakh acres of affected crop, unlike 20 lakh acres registered on the portal.
While handing over a memorandum to Ambala deputy commissioner, she demanded urgent compensation to farmers on lines of the Punjab government that has started disbursing the amount.
