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Farmers, police clash in Jodhpur

Jodhpur: Five persons, including two policemen, were injured here on Tuesday when farmers angry over non-availability of seeds blocked traffic and threw stones at the police team, which baton-charged the protesters.

Farmers who assembled at the seed market in the city in the morning went on the rampage when they were told that the Rajasthan Marketing Cooperative Society has run out of the stock of seeds of pearl millet.

They blocked traffic and staged a demonstration, raising anti-government slogans, officials said adding, the police reached the area and tried to pacify them but when they refused to budge, the police resorted to lathi-charge .

Three farmers and two policemen who were injured in the clash have been admitted to a hospital, officials said.

Later, an agreement was reached between the farmers, private sellers and administration under which the seeds were to be provided to the farmers from private sellers at a controlled rate, which was fixed at Rs. 100 per kg.

Twelve shops of the wholesalers, which were closed after the agitation of the farmers, also opened after the intervention of the administration.

After constant crop failures in past two years, rain in region had triggered hope among the farmers and a large number of them went to the market to buy the seeds for sowing.

According to Deputy Director (Agriculture) Ram Gopal Sharma, the spurt in the demand of the seeds of HHB 67 hybrid pearl millet, suitable for desert areas, was caused by the sudden rain the region experienced on Sunday and Monday, for which the government was not ready.

He said the cooperative society had 570 kg of seeds, which got exhausted on Monday and when the farmers went to private shops, they found the prices there very high compared to that of the society, which is Rs 70 per kg.

This infuriated the farmers and they went on the rampage.

“Since the seeds are not available with us but giving relief to the farmers and ensuring availability of the seeds to them are important, we have asked private wholesalers to sell the seeds at the price not more than Rs 100 per kg,” Mr. Sharma said.

“We will get new stock by Wednesday and the farmers will be able to purchase the seeds from us,” he said.

A farmer from Rohet area of Pali, Durga Ram Bishnoi, said:“This is the appropriate time that we start sowing and if we are not provided with the seeds now, this pre-monsoon rain will be of no use for us.” PTI

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