Crops being sold at throwaway prices: Hooda

Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Wednesday accused the Haryana Government of defrauding farmers. He claimed that procurement was missing, forcing farmers to sell below MSP.

"Where are the BJP government's Bhavantar Yojana and procurement agencies? The government is defrauding farmers by not paying MSP for crops like paddy, millet, green gram, and cotton,” he said.

“Crops are being sold at throwaway prices, while the government and agencies are missing. Meanwhile, there are long queues for fertilisers. Farmers are struggling from sowing to selling their crops,” he claimed.

He said millet was being sold at Rs 1,800 to Rs 1,850 per quintal in Narnaul mandis, but not a single grain had been purchased by the government. “Not a single grain of millet was purchased in the mandis of Nuh district either. The situation in Hisar mandis is even worse. Despite the MSP of Rs 2,775 per quintal, farmers are suffering losses,” he pointed out.

He said 40,000 tonnes of moong beans arrived in Hisar mandis, but agencies did not purchase the grains. Cotton and millet were also being sold at throwaway prices in Bhiwani mandis.

He questioned claims by agencies that the crop did not meet standards, and therefore procurement was not taking place. “What standards is the government talking about? If the standards were correct when the seeds were sold, how did they go wrong at harvest time?” he questioned.

“If the seeds were bad, was any action taken against those selling them? Where was the government and its representatives when the seeds were being sold?” he stated.

“Farmers are being misled under the guise of the Bhavantar Yojana. Farmers should be given immediate relief, full procurement at MSP should be ensured, and strict action should be taken against those selling faulty seeds,” he said.