Tension is brewing in the “Rice Bowl” of Haryana as farmers under various union banners, including BKU (Charuni) and the Haryana Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Morcha, organized a Mahapanchayat at the Pipli grain market today. The primary focus of the meeting was the “distress selling” of paddy due to the delay in official government procurement.
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Early Crop Maturity: Farmer leaders pointed out that due to changing weather patterns and the use of short-duration seeds, the paddy crop has matured 15–20 days earlier than usual. Thousands of quintals of produce have already reached the mandis of Kurukshetra, Ambala, and Karnal.
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The Demand: The Mahapanchayat passed a resolution demanding that the Haryana government advance the procurement date from October 1 to September 15. They also requested the government to relax moisture content norms, as recent rains have affected the crop’s quality.
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Warning to Government: Addressing the gathering, farmer leaders warned that if the government does not announce an early purchase schedule within the next 48 hours, they will be forced to block the National Highway-44 (GT Road) and stage a protest outside the Chief Minister’s residence.
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Private Trade Exploitation: Protesters alleged that private millers are currently buying paddy at ₹400 to ₹500 below the MSP, taking advantage of the farmers’ lack of storage options. “Our crops are lying in the open. If it rains, we will lose everything. The government must act now,” said a farmer from a nearby village.
