Driven by profit, bajra from R’sthan in Haryana for MSP

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 2

With Haryana announcing 100 per cent procurement of bajra (millet) at the minimum support price of Rs 1,950 per quintal, huge stocks from Rajasthan have found their way into grain markets of southern Haryana, it is learnt.

But Ram Niwas, Additional Chief Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, insists foolproof arrangements will defeat the traders’ designs. “They can’t be allowed to make profit via the procurement process,” he says, listing steps such as compulsory registration of farmers on Meri Fasal, Mera Byora (e-Kharid) portal, verification of claims by Agriculture Development Officers (ADOs) and re-verification. 

“We will only procure crops registered on the portal and verified by ADOs and revenue officials,” he says. 

Significantly, Rajasthan, that produces a massive 27 lakh metric tonnes of bajra, has no procurement policy. The crop there is being sold at a much lower price — Rs 1,200 per quintal. The profit motive, therefore, is driving traders to push the commodity into Haryana’s grain markets. It is learnt that traders from Rewari, Mahendragarh, Charkhi Dadri, Bhiwani, Jhajjar, Hisar, Nuh and Gurugram districts have stocked their godowns with bajra.

Haryana has just begun procurement under the Bhawantar Bharpayee Scheme under which farmers will be paid Rs 1,500 or more (decided on a daily basis) per quintal by agencies or private parties and the difference between sale price and MSP will be paid by the government.

FIGURING IT OUT

• 10 lakh MT is the average production of bajra in Haryana 

• 6.2 lakh MT is cultivated by 1.15 lakh farmers registered with e-Kharid 

• 4.4 lakh MT, remaining figure, is expected to go down after a survey by revenue officials