Farmers protest against procurement agencies

Friday, 24/04/2015

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LUDHIANA: A large number of farmers from Mullanpur and nearby villages came on a common platform and protested against the languid approach of various procurement agencies for not beginning with procurement at Mullanpur Mandi.

The protest was staged in the evening hours at Raikot Road at Mullanpur, where commission agents from Aartiya Association, members of market committee and nagar council of Mullanpur also joined them.

“We have already suffered huge losses due to the inclement weather since March. There were constant rainy days, hailstorm and high velocity winds that incurred so much loss, and now these agencies are making us suffer by ignoring our produce,” they said.

Magar Singh Waraich, exchairman, market committee and Telu Ram Bansal, ex-nagar council, president, said, “If the procurement agencies will not begin with procurement by Friday morning, we will come up with another protest.”

They said better facilities for farmers were also the need of hour at the mandi.

Talking to district mandi officer (DMO) Narinderpal Singh Tiwana about this protest, he said he was unaware about the protest, as he was in Khanna and was dealing with another protest staged by wheat farmers.

“Although state government has asked the procurement agencies to cooperate with farmers and offer them minimum MSP of `1,450 per quintal of wheat, but these agencies have still not fully agreed to this decision and in some areas they are being reluctant,” he said.

MCPI CONCERNED OVER SLOW LIFTING OF WHEAT

Marxist Communist Party of India, United MCPI (U) has expressed concern over the slow lifting of wheat from the grain markets in Punjab.

Kuldip Singh, general secretary of MCPI (U), said, “Due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm, farmers have suffered heavy losses in Punjab, where the yields of wheat is 10% less than the previous years. Even in small grain markets at some places, regular purchase and procurement has not yet started due to the negligent attitude of procurement agencies.”

MCPI (U) has urged the Punjab and central government to expedite the process of procurement and ensure minimum support price (MSP) of their produce. MCPI (U) has further demanded special package for the farmers of all rain-affected states by providing `20,000 at least per acre as compensation.