Sirsa cotton farmers protest price cuts at mills, halt auction

Tensions rose in Sirsa on Monday as cotton farmers stalled procurement and raised slogans against ginning mill owners and the government, accusing them of underpaying for their crop. The protest broke out on the first day of Navratri at the new cotton market when more than 150 tractor-trolleys arrived with fresh cotton (narma) and millers began initial purchases.

Farmers halted the auction shortly after it commenced, alleging that while mill owners displayed purchase rates between Rs 6,000 and Rs 7,000 per quintal at the mandi, they later deducted Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 per quintal during weighing and processing at the factories. Farmers insisted that payments must be made strictly at mandi rates, warning that they would not accept deductions at the factory level.

Farmer leader Lakhwinder Singh Aulakh and Arhtiya Association president Prem Bajaj reached the site and attempted to mediate. The auction remained suspended for nearly three hours before resuming after assurances from the SDM.

The protest also brought to light another long-standing issue between commission agents (arhtiyas) and millers over delayed payments due to Goods and Services Tax (GST) clearances. Arhtiyas that while they make spot payments to farmers, millers delay their settlements by up to 45 days, citing GST processing. This, they argued, causes severe financial strain on commission agents.

A meeting convened in the Market Committee office resolved that a joint discussion would be held on Wednesday under the mediation of the SDM. Both the pricing dispute and GST-related delays are expected to be addressed in the meeting, with hopes of reaching a lasting settlement.

Several farmers, including Vinod Kumar Pachar from Mattuwala village and Rishi Kalra of Dhingtania, voiced their anger at the discrepancy between auction prices and final payments by mills. Commission agents also reiterated that without prompt settlements from millers, the current system was unsustainable.

Virender Mehta, Secretary of the Sirsa Market Committee, acknowledged that procurement was briefly disrupted during the auction. However, after discussions, the buying process resumed.