Marginal hike in wheat prices reflects the Modi government's anti-farmer policy : Manjit Singh Dhaner

Marginal hike in wheat prices reflects the Modi government's anti-farmer policy : Manjit Singh Dhaner

Statement by the Punjab Mandi Board Chairman regarding the draft national marketing policy is absurd : Harnek Singh Mahima

We will strongly oppose the exploitation of farmers regarding cotton and paddy in the mandis : Gurdeep Singh Rampura

Barnala/Chandigarh 1 October ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ): The state committee of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Dakaunda) has termed the meager hike of ₹25 per quintal in the price of wheat by the central government as a reflection of the Modi government's anti-farmer policies. In this regard, State President Manjit Singh Dhaner and General Secretary Harnek Singh Mahima stated that, according to the Central Government, this price includes—in addition to land lease, irrigation costs, depreciation of tractors and other implements, interest on capital invested in machinery, and electricity and diesel expenses—the wages of family members as well.

Even if we assume the average land lease rate in Punjab to be ₹70,000 per acre, it works out to ₹1,600 per quintal. If the labor of family members is calculated at just one day's wage per quintal, the cost amounts to ₹593 according to government rates. Expenses for ploughing, sowing, seeds, fertilizers, sprays, harvesting, and the transportation of wheat come to at least ₹1,100 per quintal. Thus, even excluding the interest on the capital, machinery depreciation, and electricity and diesel costs, the expense amounts to ₹3,293 per quintal. The Central Government makes a mockery of the situation by claiming that the cost of producing wheat is ₹1,264 per quintal. The Punjab Government had also demanded a price of ₹3,338 per quintal. 

If the 'C2 + 50% profit' formula from the Swaminathan Commission report is applied, the price of wheat should be at least ₹6,000 per quintal. On one hand, the central government has waived loans worth ₹10 lakh crore belonging to corporate houses. Zee News' Subhash Chandra's debt of ₹22,006 crore has been settled for just ₹6 crore. On the other hand, farmers' crops are being plundered at abysmally low prices. On top of that, the Modi government claims to have doubled the farmers' income. The state committee stated that this despicable mockery of farmers by the Modi government has proven that it is a government hostile to farmers and laborers. Rejecting outright the marginal hike in wheat prices, the organization demanded the enactment of a law guaranteeing the procurement of all crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP) based on the Swaminathan Commission's formula.

Gurdeep Singh Rampura, the organization's Senior Vice President, stated that Harchand Singh Barsat, Chairman of the Punjab State Agricultural Marketing Board, recently announced in a statement that a draft of the national marketing policy is being prepared. The leaders questioned how the Punjab government could draft a national policy? As far as the draft of the national agricultural marketing policy is concerned, it has already been rejected by passing a resolution in the Punjab Legislative Assembly, in accordance with the demand of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha. The state committee stated that Punjab government ministers and officials themselves do not realize what they are saying or what they intend to say.

Amandeep Singh Lalton, the organization's state vice-president, warned against the exploitation of farmers by traders due to the Cotton Corporation of India's failure to commence cotton procurement, as well as the potential exploitation regarding paddy in the markets; he stated that if this exploitation continues, the organization will launch an intense agitation. The organization's State Organizing Secretary, Kulwant Singh Kishangarh, and State Committee member, Makhan Singh Bhaini Bagha, stated that preparations are in full swing to observe the 16th death anniversary of Shaheed Pirthipal Singh at village Chak Ali Sher on October 11. On the day of the death anniversary, thousands of farmers, laborers, and women will pay tribute to the martyr at the village of Chak Ali Sher.