Basmati growers get lower prices, blame exporters, millers for decline

Parveen Arora
Tribune News Service
Karnal, August 3
Farmers from Uttar Pradesh are disappointed over further decline in rates of basmati PUSA 1509 variety this year. The prices have been declining day by day, and farmers accuse rice millers and exporters of purchasing their produce at throwaway prices.

Being sold around ~2,600 per quintal
Currently, it is being procured between ~1,900 and ~2,600 per quintal compared to ~3,000-~3,600 last year. Last week, the rates were varying between ~2,300 and ~2,800 per quintal.

According to farmers, due to lack of millers and high labour costs in UP, farmers are forced to transport their crop to Haryana, where millers are procuring the same at lower rates as compared to last year. Despite the government’s claims of record high basmati exports, millers cite a decline in demand in the international market as the reason for the low prices, the farmers said.
Farmers from UP plant PUSA 1509 variety immediately after harvesting wheat in mid-April and harvest it in mid-July, with a crop duration of 90 days.
The drop in prices has left the farmers in a difficult position, as they can’t afford to take their produce back and are forced to accept the rates offered by millers and exporters. Farmers travelling between 30 km and 100 km from UP to various grain markets in Karnal are resentful.
“The rates are falling day by day. We do not have many buyers in UP and the cost of labour for cleaning and thrashing is higher. Therefore, we come to Karnal grain market, but here, rice millers and exporters purchase our produce at throwaway prices,” said Pawan Kumar, a farmer from Saharanpur.
“The government does not purchase this variety. Only millers and exporters purchase it. Nearly 2.5 lakh quintals of this variety has arrived only in Karnal grain market till Thursday evening,” said Sanjeev Sachdeva, secretary, Karnal Market Committee.