Farmers struggle to sell paddy amid MFMB portal glitches

Despite registering their land details on time through the ‘Meri Fasal Mera Byora’ (MFMB) portal, several farmers in Karnal and nearby districts are being denied entry into grain markets due to pending land verification by revenue officials and data mismatches on the portal.

The delay has resulted in non-issuance of gate passes, preventing farmers from selling their produce at the minimum support price (MSP). Many are now either waiting indefinitely for verification or selling below MSP to private buyers.

Farmers have appealed to the district administration to intervene urgently and expedite verification.

According to official figures, 1.27 million farmers registered 73.48 lakh acres of land on the MFMB portal for the kharif season. However, discrepancies were found in 30.83 lakh acres. Of these, only 5.94 lakh acres have been verified, while nearly 24.89 lakh acres remain pending.

For non-basmati paddy alone, 4.83 lakh farmers registered 28.80 lakh acres, with 24.59 lakh acres verified and 4.20 lakh acres still awaiting clearance.

In Karnal district, 63,488 farmers registered 4.56 lakh acres, out of which 4.43 lakh acres have been verified so far. In Kaithal, 4.01 lakh acres were registered with 3.79 lakh verified, while in Kurukshetra, 3.15 lakh acres were registered and 3.06 lakh verified.

“I registered all details on July 7, but due to non-verification, I could not get gate passes to sell my crop in Karnal grain market. I have been running from pillar to post — from the tehsil office to patwaris and the DDA — but I am still struggling,” said Yashpal Makkar, a farmer from Ranwar.

Another farmer, Saravjeet Singh, said: “Even after uploading complete details in time, my crop data has not been verified. Without gate passes, I cannot sell my paddy.”

Asha Rani, secretary of the Karnal Market Committee, admitted that complaints are being received but maintained that “gate passes cannot be issued without due clearance under the online system.”

Dr Wazir Singh, Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA), Karnal, said teams have been deployed to guide farmers. “We are helping farmers verify the information on the portal. Farmers should also cross-check details using their mobile phones,” he said.

Uttam Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Karnal, assured farmers that the matter is being taken seriously. “Verification of crops claimed by farmers is underway. Directions have been issued to all concerned officials to resolve issues at the earliest. We are committed to ensuring fair and transparent procurement,” he added.