Sanawad (Madhya Pradesh): Scores of cotton harvesters in the Nimar region are facing a double whammy these days. After facing heavy rainfall in the past and an indefinite strike call given by the cotton traders, the farmers are facing double difficulty.
Due to the closure of cotton procurement, farmers are forced to not bring their cotton to the Krishi Upaj Mandi. As a result of this, all the operations at the mandi came to a standstill. Not only the farmers, but labourers who are engaged†in ginning mills and agriculture fields are facing unemployment problems ahead of Diwali.
Farmers claimed that they have already lost a good portion of cotton due to rainfall and now they are facing problems which are preventing the remaining harvest at their places. Due to incessant rainfall, cotton is not harvested in the fields and the cotton plants, roots and bales have become rotten. Due to this, the production of cotton is also expected to decrease by 30 to 40 per cent, the farmers said.
Mangilal Khataria, secretary of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh said that farmers are already troubled by excessive rainfall and due to the unrelenting strike of cotton traders, the purchase of cotton in the mandi came to a standstill. Due to this farmers are facing double problems.
Apart from this, the farmers also have to prepare fields for sowing of upcoming crops wheat and gram. Farmers have demanded from the state government that an early decision should be taken on the mandi tax in the state so that the strike of the traders could be called-off early and resume operations at the mandi.
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