Farmers Stage Highway Blockade In Haryana's Shahbad, Demand MSP For Sunflower Seeds: WATCH

Farmers staged a powerful protest today, resulting in a temporary road closure on NH 44. Farmers are enraged by the Haryana government's refusal to purchase sunflower seeds at the MSP.

Farmers from the region blocked the Delhi-Chandigarh highway (National Highway-44) near Shahbad in the Kurukshetra district on Tuesday, enraged by the Haryana government's decision not to buy sunflower seeds at the minimum support price (MSP). The Haryana government has refused to buy sunflower seeds at the MSP.

According to a report by Hindustan Times, the highway was closed due to a call from Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) president Gurnam Singh Charuni, as the government's deadline to begin procurement at the MSP of 6,400 per quintal expired on Monday.

Farmers gathered at the Shahbad grain market in the morning amid heavy police deployment and barricades and decided to block the highway after talks with the administration failed, as per the report. 

The farmers, led by Charuni, crossed barricades and blocked the highway by parking their tractor-trailers loaded with sunflower seeds.

Previously, on May 31, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar deposited Rs 181 crore into the bank accounts of 67,758 farmers as compensation for crop losses caused by unseasonal rainfall in March and April.

In a tweet, CM Khattar said, "Today, fulfilling the promise made to my farmer brothers, I have sent compensation of Rs 181 crore directly to their bank accounts through just one click, for their damaged crops. In March-April 2023, we had announced compensation for the crop damaged due to unseasonal rains in the month of May, under which today the compensation amount has been released to 67,758 farmers of the state."

Crops in the state were damaged by unseasonal rains in March and April of this year.

In the absence of government agencies, farmers claim they are forced to sell their produce to private buyers at Rs 4,000 per quintal, as opposed to the MSP of Rs 6,400, Hindustan Times reported. 

The Haryana Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department issued a notice on May 30 declaring that sunflower seeds and bajra had been added to the list of crops covered by the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana (BBY), which means that government agencies will not procure these crops at MSP but will pay farmers Rs 1,000 per quintal for selling their produce to private buyers.

The farmers claim that the move will result in a loss of Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 per acre, and they will continue to protest until government agencies purchase their produce at MSP.