Punjab, Haryana farmers intensify campaign against direct sale to private silos

Tribune News Service

Parvesh Sharma

Sangrur, March 23

After a controversy over direct delivery of wheat crop from farmers to silos of private companies in Haryana and Punjab, farmers have further intensified their campaign to convince other farmers to sell wheat only to government purchase agencies.

Weakening govt purchase system

We are making farmers aware of the conspiracies of silo owners to weaken government purchase system. Majority of them have pledged that they won’t sell their produce to silos even at high rates. — Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, BKU (Ugrahan) General Secretary

Farm leaders admitted that some farmers had been selling their produce at higher rates directly to private silos in Punjab, but they said they had intensified their campaign and were conducting meetings to prevent the practice. They alleged that private silo owners were purchasing wheat at higher rate only for a short time to weaken government purchase system.

“Many farmers have admitted that they had directly sold their produce to silos in various areas on higher rates. Apart from high price, farmers said silo owners complete the process instantly and free their tractor-trailers immediately, while in government grain markets, they have to wait for long,” Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan, general secretary of BKU Ugrahan, told The Tribune.

About their future course of action to prevent direct sale to silos, he said they had further intensified their campaign that was launched sometime back for the purpose.

“We have been conducting special meetings and making farmers aware of the conspiracies of silo owners to weaken government purchase system. Majority of them have also understood it and have pledged that they would not sell their produce to silos even on high rates. We are not compelling any farmer, but convincing them by sharing the losses that we may have to suffer in future,” he said.

Chhajli silo director Puneet Bansal said they had never purchased any crop directly. “We are offering our services only for storage of government purchase and never conduct any direct purchase.” he said. A Sangrur farmer, Gurpartap Singh: “If farmers are selling their crop to private players, it’s because they are offered better prices by them. Farmer unions should launch indefinite agitation for increase in MSP as per our input cost to save government purchase system,” he said.

Sangrur District Food and Civil Supply Controller Narinder Singh said they could not stop farmers from selling their crop to private players directly. “Any private player could purchase the crop of any farmer by paying the mandatory fee. It’s the choice of farmers where they want to sell their crop,” he said.

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