Farmers block NH-44 in Kurukshetra to demand MSP for sunflower seed
1 min read 06 Jun 2023, 03:04 PM ISTFarmers in Kurukshetra, Haryana protest for MSP for sunflower seed. Government refuses, leading to protests and threats of intensified agitation.
PremiumProtesting farmers blocked the National Highway-44 in Kurukshetra's Shahabad over their demand for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sunflower seed, according to a report published by the news agency ANI.
Many police personnel are present at the location to manage the situation. It is pertinent to note that the protest caused inconvenience to commuters passing through the highway.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) is supporting protesting farmers against the government's decision not to buy sunflower seed on the MSP. On Monday, it also threatened to intensify the agitation if the government failed to address the issue, Hindustan Times reported.
The announcement about the demonstration came after a meeting with the Haryana education minister and other officials who failed to yield any result.
In an official statement, Kurukshetra deputy commissioner Shantanu Sharma informed that 144 quintals of sunflower seed were procured on Monday and an additional ₹1,000 per quintal will be paid to farmers, as per HT reports.
With this, the total payment to farmers will be ₹5,800 per quintal against the MSP of ₹4,800 per quintal.
BKU leader Rakesh Bains on Monday informed that the union has called the farmers' meeting on June 6 as he claimed that the government was trying to divide the farmers by luring them with the commercial procurement of sunflower seed at ₹4,800.
However, he said that selling their produce is the farmer's right, hence, the decision will be taken in Tuesday's meeting.
Ahead of the harvest season, the government's refusal to offer MSP came as a jolt to thousands of sunflower growers from northern Haryana, HT reported.
The central government, meanwhile, is weighing a 3-8% increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for key kharif crops in 2023-24.
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