High moisture, black paddy grains: Farmers face Rs 50-Rs 500 cut on MSP at mandis across state

Say ‘unprecedented rain not our fault,’ urge procurement agencies to relax norms

upport price (MSP) of Rs 2,389. I brought all the paddy from my 5 acres and now I am returning after a huge loss. It is not our fault that the weather remained humid and rainy even during the harvest time,” he says.

In Bhagta Wala mandi of Amritsar, Jagmohan Singh had a similar story to tell. “My arhtiya said that both high moisture and blackening of grains were the reasons behind the cut in price,” he say, adding, “The rains continued well into the harvesting period this year. The weather was totally unpredictable. Still, my crop was clean. Only the peel of the paddy is blackened. We farmers are dependent on arhtiyas and have no option but to accept whatever rate they offer.”

Jagmohan, who cultivated paddy on nine acres, says he had to sell his produce at Rs 2,139 per quintal. “Another farmer faced a Rs 300 cut per quintal. Some others faced Rs 100 or Rs 50 cuts,” he says, adding that “it’s a collective loss for the entire farming community.”

While Kuldeep suffered a loss of Rs 106 per quintal on his crop, Jagmohan received Rs 250 less per quintal for his produce.

Both were at the receiving end of what officials described as “high moisture content” and “false smut (Haldi Rog), in which the colour of the crop changes to black.”

Even as the paddy procurement season picks up pace across Punjab, farmers are being forced to sell their produce below the MSP due to arbitrary deductions made on the pretext of high moisture content and blackening of grains.

In several mandis, farmers say they are facing cuts ranging between Rs 50 and Rs 500 per quintal, deepening the financial distress already caused by erratic weather and reduced yield this year.

The story is no different in other parts of the state. In a Fazilka mandi, farmer Tarsem Singh reported a Rs 200 cut per quintal, while in Bathinda, farmer Jagsir Singh said he too received Rs 50 less per quintal than the MSP. “We are helpless. The yield is already 6–7 quintals less per acre this year due to early sowing followed by bad weather, and now these cuts are adding insult to injury,” Jagsir says, adding that arhtiyas are giving them slips for less crop after making cuts.

“For instance, the weight of my produce is 100 quintals, so after calculating cuts, they will provide slips for around 92 quintals’ crop and I will get the payment of only around 92 quintals against the 100 quintals of my crop,” Tarsem says.

In Patiala mandis also, farmers allege that moisture meters of arhtiyas are allegedly faulty and they show high moisture content. Across various mandis in Punjab, farmers narrated similar experiences — all pointing toward deductions ranging between Rs 50 and Rs 300 per quintal.

“This is an unprecedented situation,” said a local arhtiya in Amritsar, requesting anonymity. “Farmers are suffering due to weather fluctuations, but agencies are not relaxing the moisture norms even by a little. The government should immediately issue directions to change guidelines for the season,” he said.

“This is not just a financial loss,” said Jagmohan, adding, “It’s a loss of faith. When the government announces MSP, we expect to actually get it. But in mandis, the situation is different — we end up settling for much less. This is an injustice to farmers.”

Another farmer in Fazilka said, The government cannot punish us for rain and humidity. Moisture content is bound to be higher this year because of the rains in October. The procurement agencies must relax the norms or issue clear directions to ensure farmers are not robbed of their rightful MSP.”

Meanwhile, state Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian, told The Indian Express that they are in talks with the Centre regarding the false smut cases because in that case the grain is fine — only the paddy peel is blackened and there should be no cut in MSP. He said that he has been taking quick action wherever he gets any such complaint and trying to get full MSP for farmers. He also appealed to farmers to bring dry paddy to the mandis as much as possible to get the full MSP.