Farmers oppose per acre ceiling on grain purchase

Chandigarh, October 9

Farmers in Punjab are up in arms against the proposed ceiling on per acre purchase of foodgrain, which will restrict the procurement by the state and central government agencies.

In a statement issued here today, the BKU Dakaunda and BKU Kadian said the Centre had “advised state governments to put a limit of 34 quintal per acre marketing of paddy and also ask farmers to submit the land records”. It was unfair and they would fight it out, said Jagmohan Singh Patiala, BKU Dakaunda general secretary.

“Paddy is not an indigenous crop of Punjab. It was imposed at the time of the Green Revolution and hence it is a cash crop for Punjab farmers. It is completely up to farmers to maximise their production and therefore they are entitled to sell as much produce as they will in the market. The government also been claiming that every seed of farmers will be purchased on MSP,” said Harmeet Singh Kadian, BKU Kadian president.

In a state like Punjab, where per head landholding size was small and the majority of the farmers was marginal or tenant, and the government didn’t include all input costs in its MSP calculation, it was necessary for them to maximise the production for sustenance, said Patiala. — TNS

‘Unfair decision’

In a statement issued on Saturday, the BKU Dakaunda and BKU Kadian said the Centre had “advised state governments to put a limit of 34 quintal per acre marketing of paddy and also ask farmers to submit land records”. This was unfair and they would fight it out, said Jagmohan Singh Patiala, BKU Dakaunda general secretary.

Under debt, 2 farmers kill self in 10 days

Muktsar: In the past about 10 days, two debt-ridden farmers have allegedly died by suicide in the Lambi segment of Muktsar. A 40-year-old farmer, Ranjit Singh of Kolianwali village, allegedly ended life by consuming a poisonous substance on Friday. Similarly, a 28-year-old farmer, Manipal Singh from Rattakhera Vadda village, allegedly died by suicide by consuming a poisonous substance on September 29. TNS

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