No mustard procurement, glut in mandis

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, May 2

Resentment prevails among farmers as government agencies have refused to procure mustard on the MSP in Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, Fatehabad and Hisar districts. As per information from various mandis, the farmers have been bringing mustard in huge quantities. The Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Sabha (ABKS) has stated that the farmers are facing harassment due to the non-procurement of mustard.

The Fatehabad district president of the ABKS, Vishnu Dutt, said they had taken up the matter with the procurement agencies in the Bhattu block of Fatehabad yesterday. “Bhattu has a significant area under mustard. Though the farmers are coming to the mandi with the produce, they are being forced to sell the produce below the MSP. We have served two days’ ultimatum to the authorities to resume procurement and are scheduled to hold a meeting again,” he said, adding that they would take up the matter at the state level if the government failed to resume the procurement process soon.

An official of the marketing committee in Charkhi Dadri said they were waiting for instructions from the government regarding the resumption of mustard procurement. “We have stopped the purchase of mustard as NAFED has completed its purchase quota. Now, HAFED will purchase mustard as per its specifications,” he said.

The official said about 48,000 quintals of mustard was lying unsold in Charkhi Dadri district. “Therefore, the government agencies and arhtiyas have refused to accept more stocks of mustard from the farmers,” he added.

Similar situation prevails in Bhiwani as nearly 40,000 quintals of mustard is yet to be procured. In Hisar district, nearly 27,991 quintals of mustard remains unsold.

The arhtiyas said the rates of mustard were around

Rs 4,300-Rs 4,500 in the open market, though the government has fixed the MSP of Rs 5,450 per quintal.

Sultan Singh of Beed village sold mustard harvested on 3 acres to private arhtiyas at a rate of Rs 4,800 per quintal. “I held back the produce for a couple of days, hoping that the government agencies would purchase it on the MSP. But, ultimately, I had to sell it to private arhtiyas below the MSP,” he said.

Produce fetching prices below MSP

• Last year, the mustard prices were over Rs 6,000 per quintal in the open market, so the govt agencies did not need to purchase it as the MSP was below the market price
• This year, the farmers are not fetching prices even on a par with the MSP in the open market, and thus, are lining up in mandis to sell their produce to govt agencies.