Moneycontrol PRO
Check Credit Score
Check Credit Score
HomeNewsBusinessEconomy

Farmers hit as tur dal shops remain shut in Maharashtra

Tur dal yards remain shut down across market yards in Maharashtra, despite the fact that minimum support price (MSP) of the lentil continued to fall steadily.

February 13, 2017 / 03:02 PM IST

Binu PanickerMoneycontrol BureauTur dal yards remain shut in Maharashtra, leading to farmers' woes. While the prices of dal has continued to fall below the minimum support price (MSP), traders'are agitating that the government pay the farmers the promised relief grant of Rs 425 per quintal, reports The Times of India. The government has issued notices to traders who have been purchasing stocks of lentil well below the MSP. The farmers as a result are facing pain arising from being underpaid. Tur cultivation saw a stunning growth in Maharashtra this year, with production going up to 11.71 lakh metric tonnes against 4.4 lakh metric tonnes last year, reports the newspaper. This growth came as a result of subsidy scheme provided by government towards sowing of the crop in 2016 when prices of tur skyrocketed owing to low supply. The government provided willing farmers with free seeds and fertilisers, resulting in farmers taking up sowing of tur on a large scale, a decision which they regret now.MSP for tur has been set at Rs 5,050 per quintal; however, farmers get only around 4,200-4,300 per quintal. This led the farmers to protest with the government. This resulted in the government issuing notices to the traders with market yards committees in key markets like Parbhai, Latur, Akola and Hingoli."Following notices to the traders, they stopped purchase of tur dal at the market yards. Farmers are being short-changed despite having a good crop year. Another issue for keeping the markets shut relates to the additional grant," said a Latur APMC committee official told Times of India."If the government threatens action against the traders they hold us to ransom and stop the purchase," said Aashirwad Warpe, an affected farmer from Latur.

Discover the latest business news, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!

Advisory Alert: It has come to our attention that certain individuals are representing themselves as affiliates of Moneycontrol and soliciting funds on the false promise of assured returns on their investments. We wish to reiterate that Moneycontrol does not solicit funds from investors and neither does it promise any assured returns. In case you are approached by anyone making such claims, please write to us at grievanceofficer@nw18.com or call on 02268882347