AAP govt failed moong farmers in Punjab, says SAD president Sukhbir Badal
Calling for purchase of moong by government agencies at minimum support price (MSP) of ₹7,755 per quintal, the SAD president also demanded that the government should compensate farmers for the losses suffered by them by selling produce to private traders.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government had failed farmers for the second time in a row with moong growers being forced to go in for distress sale of their produce as government agencies have failed to procure it.
Calling for purchase of moong by government agencies at minimum support price (MSP) of ₹7,755 per quintal, the SAD president also demanded that the government should compensate farmers for the losses suffered by them by selling produce to private traders.
In a statement here, the SAD president said: “Last year, farmers sowed moong following a personal appeal by chief minister Bhagwant Mann and an assurance that their produce would be procured at MSP. However, the government procured only 17% of the total produce coming to the market, leading to huge losses for farmers.”
Asserting that the position worsened this year, Sukhbir said, “This season, government purchases are 77% lesser than last year.”
“Government agencies have purchased only 2,280 quintals of moong so far, as compared to 9,902 quintals purchased during the same period last year,” he said. He said this had happened despite the fact that 42 mandis had been notified for procurement of moong.
Stating that the total abandonment of farmers at the hands of the AAP government had left them to the mercy of private traders, Badal said, “Private traders have purchased 1.47 lakh quintals of moong from mandis in the state so far.” He said farmers were forced to sell their produce around ₹1,000 per quintal lesser than MSP of ₹7, 755 per quintal.
Govt purchase of moong down 77% this year so far: Cong
Chandigarh
Leader of opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government for letting farmers down once again by not ensuring the procurement of moong and maize on minimum support price (MSP) despite the assurance by chief minister Bhagwant Mann.
Bajwa said the AAP government purchased only a negligible quantity of moong crop and claimed that private players purchased the crop for ₹6,800 to ₹7,000 a quintal, which is ₹955 to ₹755 below the MSP of ₹7,755, whereas farmers in some districts got only ₹5,800 per quintal for their produce.
Stating that the total abandonment of farmers at the hands of the AAP government had left them to the mercy of private traders, Badal said, “Private traders have purchased 1.47 lakh quintals of moong from mandis in the state so far.” He said farmers were forced to sell their produce around ₹1,000 per quintal lesser than MSP of ₹7, 755 per quintal.
Govt purchase of moong down 77% this year so far: Cong
Chandigarh
Leader of opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government for letting farmers down once again by not ensuring the procurement of moong and maize on minimum support price (MSP) despite the assurance by chief minister Bhagwant Mann.
Bajwa said the AAP government purchased only a negligible quantity of moong crop and claimed that private players purchased the crop for ₹6,800 to ₹7,000 a quintal, which is ₹955 to ₹755 below the MSP of ₹7,755, whereas farmers in some districts got only ₹5,800 per quintal for their produce.
The Congress leader said the government purchase of moong this year is down by 77% as compared to last year during this period. He said the summer maize harvesting was on in the state and the farmers were forced to sell crops, which meet the procurement specifications, to the private traders for ₹1,500-1,550 per quintal. The MSP for maize is set at ₹1,962 per quintal this year.
Bajwa said the AAP government has been creating hype around crop diversification and a new agricultural policy. He claimed that last year too, the government had disappointed the farmers on various occasions, including providing relief to dairy farmers after the LSD outbreak and paddy farmers after the dwarf disease.
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