Taking serious exception to the cap on quantity set by the Union government for procurement of red gram, leaders of different farmers organisations demanded the removal of cap enabling growers to sell their entire crop at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹ 6,000 a quintal (including the incentive of ₹ 450 being given by the State government).
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, leaders of the Karnataka Pranta Raitha Sangha (KPRS), the Farm Producers’ Organisation and the Federation of Cooperative Societies said that the restriction on quantity imposed by the Union government was forcing a large section of growers to sell crop in the open market at much lower prices compared to the MSP.
“There are around 8 lakh red gram growers in the State. The expected yield is around 9 lakh tonnes. The Union government had initially permitted the State government to procure only 1.65 lakh tonnes. After much resistance from growers, it has now decided to procure another 1 lakh tonnes. Yet, a large quantity of the crop, about 6.5 lakh tonnes, remains outside the MSP net. In view of the restriction on quantity, the State government has enrolled only 3.15 lakh farmers forcing the remaining farmers to sell crop in the open market at around ₹ 4,000 a quintal against the MSP of ₹ 6,000 in State-established procurement centres,” Maruti Manpade, leader of KPRS, said.
The restriction, Mr. Manpade added, defeated the very purpose of safeguarding the farmers from price fall through active market intervention by the government. He demanded that the State government enrol all red gram growers so as to create demand which would in turn force the Union government to remove the cap on quantity.
Mr. Manpade also criticised AICC president Rahul Gandhi for not raising the issue of red gram procurement during his recent visit to Kalaburagi, the land of red gram, which contributes around half of the yield produced by the State.
He ridiculed local BJP leaders for staging a protest against Rahul Gandhi over red gram procurement during the latter’s visit to Kalaburagi. Mr. Manpade said that the BJP leaders should be ashamed of raising the issue before Congress leaders considering the point that fixing of MSP and imposition of import duty and procurement quantity was with the Union government and not the State government.
“It is the BJP-led Union government that had allowed duty-free import of pulses causing price crash in the domestic market. It fixed the MSP at ₹ 5,450 a quintal and imposed the cap on quantity. It is absurd that BJP leaders were begging before the Congress instead of forcing their own leaders who are sitting in New Delhi and playing with farmers’ lives,” he said.
Agitation
Basavaraj Pawadshetty, a farmers’ leader, said that a protest with a bullock-cart march was planned for next Tuesday to pressure the government to address procurement issues. “Farmers from different parts of the district would arrive with their bullock-carts and gather at Jagath Circle. We will then march to the district administrative complex and camp there till our issues are settled,” he said.
Virupakshappa, Ashok Myageri, Mula Mulla, Sharanabasappa Mamshetty, Amritappa and others were present.
