Bihar farmers are selling wheat below MSP?

 All efforts are being done by the Central and State Government to double the income of the farmers. In order to get a reasonable price for their produce, wheat and paddy are procured at the government rate. But contrary to these claims, the procurement of wheat at the purchasing centers of Bihta block of Patna district has not been started. Due to this, there is anger among the farmers of the area. Here, the government is continuously claiming that due to Corona infection,

farmers are not coming to the purchasing centers to sell wheat.

In the government announcements, from April 20, the wheat procurement in the state is running at the minimum support price fixed by packs and various means, but the reality is the opposite. Farmers have to bear the brunt of the poor system. For this reason, farmers are forced to sell their wheat to middlemen at throwaway prices. After paddy, wheat is also cultivated in large quantity in Bihta block. Because of this, farmers fulfill their domestic needs.

Due to the non-commencement of wheat procurement, farmers are selling the wheat produced at one and a quarter price to cultivate the next crop, repay the debts of the bank and the money lenders. On the other hand, farmers are forced to sell wheat at a price lower than the government rate, even on marriage. Local jobbers and middlemen are taking wheat from needy farmers from 1200 to 1300 rupees per quintal, that too on condition of payment after 15 to 20 days. While the minimum support price of wheat at the government level is declared as Rs 1975 per quintal.

Talking to several PACS presidents of Bihta block in this regard, they said that the main reason for not paying the dues by the government along with the lockdown. A PACS president, on the condition of anonymity, said, 'Last year's money is left on the government. The government did not provide the money, we could not give it to the farmers either. Because of this, farmers do not trust PACS. The second reason is that the farmers are shying away from coming to the procurement center due to the lockdown. He said that the government has made the announcement, but no written order has been reached yet.

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