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Mustard farmers a dejected lot

Special Correspondent

Discontinuance of procurement at minimum support price in Rajasthan

JAIPUR: The discontinuance of procurement of mustard from farmers in Rajasthan at the minimum support price from Wednesday has led to despondency in the farm sector. The suspension of the procurement is attributed to the non-availability of storage space with purchasing agencies and the State Government. Yet several aspects, including the pending payment of crores of rupees to farmers who have already sold their produce at MSP and the validity of tokens distributed to the farmers with a promise to buy later are to be made clear by the authorities.

There is near panic among the State's farmers who have produced an estimated 43-lakh tonnes bumper crop during the current season and are keen to sell it at MSP of Rs.1715 per quintal. This is against a production of 36 lakh tonnes in the previous season. Though there were hopes that Nafed, the procurement agency of the Centre would purchase at least 20 lakh tonnes of mustard this year to stabilize the market, the buying activity has been officially suspended since May 10 after a purchase of about 12 lakh tonnes.

The Nafed sources in the State capital refused to officially comment on the situation but said they had orders to discontinue the procurement from May 7. Now it is not clear whether the mustard purchased from farmers during the interim period would be paid for at the MSP. The Nafed authorities also declined to comment whether the buying has been suspended for the time being or it is called off. According to information available the procurement continued in some of the districts after May 7. The explanation given for selective purchase was that buying was being done wherever the storage space was available.

Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, who had met Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar a fortnight back in Delhi on the issue of purchase of mustard, is away to Israel at present. In fact Mr.Pawar is also in Israel on the invitation of Indo-Israel Business Forum. In the State capital, Rajasthan Cooperative Minister Madan Dilwar termed the decision to discontinue the procurement, as "unfortunate". The main Opposition, the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have also expressed concern over the discontinuance of procurement.

There is ambiguity over the quantum of mustard already purchased from farmers at MSP and the amount pending as due to them. According to Mr.Dilwar an amount of Rs.1661 crores is due for payment while the Nafed is tightlipped about it the amount as well as the total purchase so far. Besides, there are indications that farmers have been distributed tokens with the promise that their produce would be purchased up to June 15.

Hannan Mollah, CPI (M) MP and in charge of the party for Rajasthan on Wednesday wrote a letter to Mr.Pawar seeking "immediate" Central intervention in the procurement. "Nafed has purchased only about 12 lakh tonnes on support price and stopped purchasing from today. This has created serious trouble for farmers as the price has crashed to Rs.1300 per quintal in the open market" he wrote warning of a Maharashtra-like situation in Rajasthan leading to farmers' suicides.

Mr.Mollah pointed out that the State Government had blamed the Centre for not providing adequate funds to Nafed for the purchase. "The Government should immediately intervene to save lakhs of cultivators, specially the small and marginal farmers," he said.

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