Farmer leaders term the hike in Rabi crop prices by the Central Government a cruel joke

Farmer leaders term the hike in Rabi crop prices by the Central Government a cruel joke

Chandigarh, October 2 ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : Regarding the Central Government's recent hike in Rabi crop prices—specifically the increase of ₹25 per quintal for wheat (amounting to 25 paise per kilogram, or less than one percent)—Joginder Singh Ugrahan (State President, BKU Ekta Ugrahan), Jhanda Singh Jethuke (Senior Vice President), and Singara Singh Mann (State Secretary) stated that this negligible increase is part of a policy to drive Indian farmers out of agriculture. They further asserted that this move is designed to facilitate the sale of American grain in Indian markets by implementing the India-US trade agreement. They stated that there has been a massive rise in the prices of agricultural inputs—such as fertilizers—and household goods (with an inflation rate increase of approximately 8% recorded), causing farmers, laborers, and other poor sections of society to grapple with financial hardship and remain trapped in debt.

This negligible hike in wheat prices will further increase the burden of debt on farmers. They strongly condemned the fact that Union Ministers Amit Shah (Home Minister) and Shivraj Chouhan (Agriculture Minister) failed to announce any economic package for Punjab or its farmers during their visits to the state, noting that neither minister even touched upon any of Punjab's fundamental issues. Farmer leaders demanded that the wheat procurement price be fixed based on the 'C2 + 50% profit' formula—in accordance with the Dr. Swaminathan Commission's recommendations—and that government procurement be guaranteed; they also called for strengthening the Public Distribution System (PDS) to provide free or affordable grain to the poor and creating special wheat reserves under this scheme.