Usual hustle & bustle, excitement missing in mandis
Aakanksha N Bhardwaj
Jalandhar, April 16
Baisakhi this time was not as festive as it used to be earlier. The main grain market lacks the hustle bustle and excitement; farmers are worried. They don’t know whether they will get their ‘due’ or not. Farmer Sarabjit Singh from Nawan Pind and Sukhdev Singh from Sangal Sohal village in Jalandhar who cultivated wheat on 5 acres each shared that the yield this time was low.
“Due to erratic weather conditions this time, the wheat crop completely flattened and is of no use. If you can convey our message to the government, please mention that ‘we need help’,” said Sukhdev Singh.
Dhadda village farmer Jaspreet Singh was waiting for his crop to get cleaned as it had come along with a lot of soil. He shared: “This time the harvest cost me a lot more than the last time, because the crop was flattened. Last time I had given Rs 1,800 for an acre, and this time it was Rs 2,500,” he claimed. Singh grew wheat on 20 acres, of which 1.5 acres are of his own while the rest are on contract. “Sanu kuch mile ya na mile, theka te fer vi dena hi paina hai (If we get the desired rate or not, we will have to pay the rent for contractual land). It is very tough. No one can imagine the pain we go through when such a situation arises,” he explained.
Farmer Balbir Singh from Kotli Than Singh village in Jalandhar is however waiting. “The actual condition will get cleared in the coming three to four days. Although there is less yield, we should still be hopeful,” he said. Gian Singh, an arhtiya, said although the quality was not that good, the actual scenario would be clear in some time. “The grain is shrivelled and the quality is not that good,” he said.
In Nawanshahr, until now 19,824 MT of wheat has arrived in mandis, of which 19,104 has been purchased.
In Jalandhar, 29,260 MT of wheat has reached grain markets. Of the total arrival, 24,841 MT has been procured.
We need help
Due to erratic weather conditions this time, the wheat crop completely flattened and is of no use. If you can convey our message to the govt, please mention that ‘we need help’. — Sukhdev Singh, Sangal Sohal farmer
