Procurement of wheat hit due to strike by labourers at Khanna grain market
Author(s): S.K. ShourieFarmers are raising their hands against the non procurement of wheat at Khanna Grain Market. Khanna, April 19, 2015: The procurement of wheat at Asia’s biggest grain Market Khanna is badly hit due to strike by migrant...
Khanna, April 19, 2015: The procurement of wheat at Asia’s biggest grain Market Khanna is badly hit due to strike by migrant labourers from outside the state although farmers are sitting in the grain market from two or three days. If there is no procurement by state purchase agencies then glut could not be ruled out in the next two days. Although FCI is making some procurement in the grain market but farmers are forced to sit due to non procurement by state purchase agencies.
Gobinder Singh, a farmer of village Bahomajra on being contact said there is no procurement for the last two days and he is sitting idle. Amarjit Singh another farmer of village Kalal Majra said that he is here in the grain market from three days but he is forced to sit in grain market as there is no purchase.
Secretary Market Committee Khanna Ashwani Modgil when contacted said that there is serious problem of Bardana in the grain market due to strike by labourers as they are not allowing to pick-up bardana from godowns and railway station. He said that FCI is making procurement at Khanna Mandi but state agencies are not in the grain market.
Modgil added about 70,000 quintals of wheat was procurement by FCI in Khanna grain Market and about 17,000 quintals was lying without procured. He said last year a total of 10.29 lakh quintals of wheat was procurement in Khanna grain Market. He also said that due to untimely rains the moisture is more than 12% in several heaps of wheat lying in the grain market and FCI is purchasing with 12% moisture.
Commission Agents Association Khanna president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhi stated that about one lakh bags of wheat are lying in the grain market Khanna without purchase and a glut could emerge if the state purchase agencies did not enter here for purchase. They stated although there is some purchase in Rahon Grain Market but main grain Market is without purchase.
Meanwhile BKU president Balvir Singh Rajewal when contacted said that purchase agencies are harassing farmers without any reason and the strike of labourers had nothing to do with the procurement. He threatened that BKU workers will stage dharnas infront of Akali Dal and BJP Ministers’ houses from tomorrow and they had directed kisan uonion workers to start dharnas immediately if the procurement is not started immediately and had demanded to raise the percentage of moisture content at the time of procurement.
Date:
Sunday, April 19, 2015