Farmers Movement Archive

Maize growers in Ambala struggle to get fair price

Tribune News ServiceAmbala, June 26Maize farmers in Ambala are getting prices far below expectations for their produce.Rajiv Sharma from Hasanpur village here said he had to sell his crop for just Rs 1,150 a quintal.“The production cost increases every year, but there is no stability in the market. You never know what price you are going to be offered. Two years ago, farmers got Rs 1,650-1,750 a quintal, but the prices crashed to around Rs 1,100 last year. Due to poor rates offered last year, I had decreased my maize crop area from 4.5 acre last year to 2.5 acre this year. I have sold nearly 74 quintal of crop at Rs 1,150 per quintal this year at the Talheri grain market,” added Rajiv Kumar.Rajiv Kumar, FarmerNo storage facility Many farmers have already sold their produce to private buyers at cheaper rates. As the farmers don't have the facility to store their produce, they are forced to sell immediately after harvesting. We can’t hold the produce and wait for prices to improve.Another farmer, Satinder Handa, said, “Due to losses incurred last year, I reduced my maize area from 17 acre to just 7 acre this year. The government has failed to provide a market to farmers. In the absence of government purchase, farmers are forced to sell their crop to private traders at cheaper rates. I have sold my crop for Rs 1,000 a quintal, which is insufficient.”A trader said, “The prices of maize have improved marginally over the past couple of days. Earlier, the farmers were getting Rs 900-1,450 per quintal. Now, the prices have increased to Rs 1,100-1,615 per quintal depending on the quality and moisture content in the produce.”A senior official in the Agriculture Department said, “The crop that is currently being brought to the grain market is not notified by the government due to which it is not procured by a procurement agency on MSP. Drop in yield is an issue, but the government has ensured that the maize sown during the kharif season will be procured on MSP.”Gurnam Singh Charuni, BKU (Charuni) chief, said, “Farmers are exhorted to adopt crop diversification and when they sow crops other than wheat and paddy, the government makes no arrangements for its procurement. It doesn’t make any sense that the government will purchase the maize sown in the kharif season only. Last year, the government had fixed Rs 1,850 per quintal for maize. If the government has fixed the MSP of a crop, then it must be procured on it. This is one of the major reasons the farmers have been holding the agitation and demanding a law on MSP.”

The Tribune

2021-06-27