Low prices: Tomato growers dump produce on Hisar road

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, April 26

The tomato growers in Bhiwani and Charkhi Dadri are forced to dump their produce on the roads in the absence of adequate prices in the vegetable markets. The farmers are not getting a good price for tomatos even after the state government has introduced the Bhavanter Bharpay Yojana (BBY) to ensure a better price for vegetables and fruits.

Farmers locked the main gates of the vegetable market in Charkhi Dadri on Thursday alleging that the market committee officials were hand in glove with the arhtiyas who were forcing them to sell their produce as low as Re 1 per kg.

Ajay Singh Tomar, DC, Charkhi Dadri, has suspended the auction recorder of the market committee and also recommended suspension of the market committee secretary for their failure to ensure implementation of Bhavanter scheme.

Farmers Jai Bhagwan and Ram Narayan, brought their tomato produce at the Charkhi Dadri vegetable market on Thursday as per the scheme that they must be ensured a price of Rs 4 per kg for the tomato produce.

Farmers have grown tomatoes on 1,300 acres of land in the district. Nitin Jangu, pradhan of the vegetable market, alleged that the market committee officials were behaving in a discriminatory manner with the arhtiyas as they were providing the J-form to a selected few only.

“Thus, farmers and a few arhtiyas are being harassed by the officials,” he alleged.

Former Minister Satpal Sangwal, however, visited the mandi and held the state government responsible for harassing the farmers in the name of bhavanter scheme.

In Bhiwani, vegetable farmers met Congress Legislative Party leader Kiran Choudhary on Wednesday and alleged that they were forced to dump their produce in open. They alleged that the subsidised seeds of tomatos were of poor quality which resulted in poor fruit as well.

Ramesh, a farmer, said, “We adopted the state government’s horticulture scheme and got the seeds at subsidised rates. But, there are no takers.” Kiran Choudhary has demanded an inquiry into the matter.