From poor yield to poor deal, Ambala & Kurukshetra paddy growers pay the price

After suffering a yield loss, the moisture and quality cuts on the paddy crop have left the farmers high and dry in Ambala and Kurukshetra.

The farmers have faced various challenges due to the virus and fungal disease attacks on the paddy crop, besides the severe waterlogging and untimely rains this year. During the initial growth, the crop was affected by the southern rice black streaked dwarf virus. The plant growth was stunted by the virus, which led to the yield loss. Then, untimely rains and continuous flow of river water in to the agricultural fields caused damage, and at the harvesting stage, the false smut disease and another spell of untimely rains further impacted the yield and quality of the grain. The farmers reported an average yield of 20-25 quintal, while last year there was a yield of 34-35 quintal per acre.

Though the Haryana Government, on the request of the farmers, had advanced the paddy procurement season from September 22, moisture cuts and tardy lifting, continued to test the patience of the farmers. Demanding a smooth paddy procurement season, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) had blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh National Highway in Shahabad on September 25 for nearly two hours.

BKU (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni even accused the rice millers of hampering the procurement process and the officials of the government agencies of supporting the rice millers by not taking appropriate action against them. As per the union chief, a glut-like situation is created willfully in the grain markets so that the farmers are forced to sell their produce below the MSP. Amandeep Singh, a farmer from Fazalpur village in Ambala, “We have already suffered heavy losses due to a poor yield this year, and then cuts in the name of higher moisture content and quality have caused further losses. Besides a cut of Rs 25 per quintal per point, in case the moisture level is detected above 17 per cent, another cut of Rs 200-400 a quintal was also imposed as the false smut had affected the quality of the grain. Despite the fact that all these issues were in the knowledge of the officials of the procurement agencies and the government, nothing has been done to protect the farmers.”

Prince Waraich, spokesman of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Pehowa) said, “The entire procurement system of the government seems to have collapsed. The farmers were already suffering heavy losses, and now the paddy is being procured below the minimum support price. While the MSP for the season is Rs 2,389 a quintal, cuts of Rs 400-600 a quintal are being imposed in the name of quality and moisture. The procurement agencies, administration and the government have surrendered before the rice millers. The farmers and the unions are being forced to hold repeated agitations and stage dharnas to get the paddy procured. The rice millers bring stocks from other states at cheaper rates and hamper the local procurement process.”

Meanwhile, Ambala Deputy Director (agriculture) Dr Jasvinder Singh said, “Untimely and continuous rains along with waterlogging and the dwarf virus have affected the yield this year. The average yield is around 22-25 a quintal per acre against the yield of around 35 quintal per acre last year. The farmers are being appealed to bring their produce to the grain markets after properly drying and cleaning as per the norms so that they don’t have to bear any cuts in the name of moisture or quality.”