Procure sunflower only through us: Arhtiyas to govt

As the procurement of sunflower seeds has started, the arhtiya association and the farmers union have started raising the demand for the procurement through the commission agents only.

Currently, procurement is being done by Hafed and Haryana State Warehousing Corporation at 17 grain markets under the price support scheme of the government.

Bittu Kalra, president of commission agent association at Shahabad grain market, said, “The procurement has started but the commission agents have not been involved in the procurement process yet. The commission agents and their labourers cooperate with the government agencies. If the commission agents are not involved in procurement, they will be left without commission. We request the government to ensure procurement through the commission agents. Otherwise, we will be forced to stop cooperating with the agencies from the next season.”

Harsh Girdhar, coordinator of Haryana Rajya Anaj Mandi Arthiya Association, said, “Commission agents and farmers share a close bond. Commission agents help the farmers at different stages of production, but the government has been trying to break this bond. In the SOP released for the procurement of sunflower, no mention has been made regarding procurement through commission agents. That is a matter of concern for us. As per the directions issued so far, Hafed and HSWC will act as state nodal agency on a 50:50 basis for procurement of sunflower under price support scheme of the government. Central agencies NAFED and NCCF will make purchase through state agencies HAFED and HSWC through their cooperative society without any involvement of commission agents.”

“The state agencies have no infrastructure to do the procurement. They are doing procurement with the help of commission agents by getting ‘jharnas’, weighing machine and labour from them. Arhtiyas are helping dry the crop as per the required standard. The purchase of all commodities on MSP should be done through commission agents. We have decided to raise the matter with Chief Minister and are hopeful that the government will protect the interests of the commission agents,” he added.

An official in Hafed said, “Currently, as per the directions received, Hafed and Haryana State Warehousing Corporation have been making procurement from the grain markets for central agencies. No further directions regarding the procurement through commission agents has been received so far.”

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) chief Gurnam Singh Charuni said, “We have already requested the government to ensure that the procurement is done through commission agents as they have all the experience and infrastructure to handle the produce.”