Mustard unsold, conditions apply

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Hisar, March 19

Even after five days of the start of mustard procurement in the grain market, the government agency purchased produce only from one farmer in Hisar on Monday.

The traders and private agents are getting the maximum share of the produce being brought in the mandis by farmers, who are offering them below the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Hafed has put several conditions which the farmers are finding it difficult to fulfill.

As per the roster prepared by the district administration, three farmers of Datta, Masudpur and Gurana villages in Narnaund subdivision came with their produce in the mandi.

Among them, Dilbag, a resident of Datta village, could sell his produce to Hafed agencies after he furnished all the required documents.

However, his co-villagers Krishan Kumar and Rohtash could not sell their produce.

Standing by his mustard produce, Krishan said he brought his two acres produce in the mandi on Sunday.

“I am standing guard to my produce while another family member is busy in getting all the documents collected. I am waiting for the documents and if they are not ready by Monday evening, I will then have to sell off my produce to private agents,” he said.

Krishan said the government had fixed a limit of 25 quintals of procurement, but he got around 28 quintals of mustard from two acres of land. He would have to take back the remaining three quintals as per the norm.

Rohtash, another farmer, who hired a tempo to bring around 30-35 quintals of mustard produce in the mandi, came to know about the conditions of furnishing the documents.

He left the tempo loaded with mustard in the mandi and returned to his village to get the documents.

“We are unable to track the patwari,” said Krishan, who was also taking care of Rohtash’s produce in the mandi.

While there are no other heaps of mustard at Hafed office, the procurement is going on in full swing in the mandi as the traders have been purchasing the produce at Rs3,300 to Rs3,500 per quintal, besides deducting labour and other charges.

The conditions for the farmers include a photocoy of girdawari of land, khata khatuni number of the land attested by the patwari/tehsildar mentioning the area of the land, aadhaar card, and copy of the bank account number and photograph of the farmer.