Shetkari Sanghatana demands more procurement of jowar per acre

Yavatmal: The district president of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana, Manish Jadhav, has flayed the central government’s policy “to procure only three quintal jowar per acre at minimum support price through National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed)”.
A delegation of farmers on Monday met the SDO of Pusad Dr Vyenkat Rathod and submitted a memorandum of demands addressed to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar.
The farmers have demanded instructions to Nafed for enhancing the procurement limit to 17 quintal per acre. Last year, Nafed had procured jowar at Rs2,600 per quintal from the farmers.
“There is a procurement centre in Pusad tehsil of Yavatmal and the procurement has started at Rs2,600 per quintal with the maximum limit of three quintals per acre. As a matter of fact, the farmers produce 17-20 quintals per acre. They will have to sell the remaining quantity to private traders who have slashed the rate to Rs1,500-Rs1,600 per quintal,” said Jadhav.
Jadhav pointed out that farmers are not given any assistance for crop damages caused during the last season. “They are not even paid any money from the crop insurance scheme. The farmers are trapped in debt and also facing acute financial crisis. The annual annewari of Yavatmal has been finalized at 47 paise and hence the farmers are entitled for government schemes and financial assistance,” he said.
Jadhav warned that farmers’ suicides may escalate, so government should order Nafed to procure the entire jowar produce from farmers.