Farmers happy with hike in paddy price

Bathinda, October 18

Paddy-growing farmers are a happy lot as they have started getting Rs 70-80 per quintal hike in the price of their produce in comparison to last year. They are selling their paddy at Rs 1,610 a quintal. Last season they sold their produce at Rs 1,530. In Bathinda district, 1.25 lakh hectares are under paddy cultivation.

Gurjinder Singh, a farmer from Kotshamir, said, “This season the farmers are getting fruits of their labour. I came to the grain market at night and today I sold my produce at a good price. We are not facing difficulties as the process of cleansing our produce is on time and I believe I will be free within few hours.”

Jang Singh, a farmer from Gill Patti said, “ We did not get good price for the cotton crop and this time we are pleased as the paddy price has increased from the starting of the season and I hope price of paddy will rise further.”

Commission agent Jagdish Goyal said, “This is the beginning of the season. Some farmers have harvested their crop early and the rest will harvest their crop in the coming 15-20 days. — OC