The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) has issued a stark warning to the Haryana Chief Minister, highlighting a severe financial emergency gripping potato cultivators across the state. The union's urgent letter points to a continuous and alarming fall in potato prices in agricultural markets, coupled with a critical delay in implementing the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana (BBY) compensation. This inaction, they state, is pushing white potato growers to the brink of ruin.
Double Blow: Plummeting Prices and Crop Disease
This season has delivered a harsh double blow to potato farmers in Haryana. On one hand, market prices have collapsed, while on the other, fungal diseases threaten standing crops. According to current mandi rates, white potato is selling for a meager Rs 390-510 per quintal, while the red variety fetches Rs 700-800 per quintal. Market officials attribute the slide to heavy arrivals against stable demand.
The crisis is particularly acute in key districts. The BKU (Charuni) letter specifies that prices have declined further in mandis across Panchkula, Sirsa, Sonipat, Yamunanagar, Ambala, and Kurukshetra, including major hubs like Pipli, Shahabad, and Babain. For white potatoes, the union asserts that prices have fallen well below the cost of production, rendering cultivation economically unviable.
Adding to the woes, horticulture specialist Dr. Amit from KVK, Tepla (Ambala), confirmed incidents of early blight fungal disease. While he stated the situation is currently under control, he advised farmers to use fungicides and maintain irrigation as fog and cold conditions increase, to protect yields.
Flawed System: Unfair Price Averaging and Portal Failures
The farmers' body has raised a critical flaw in the price assessment mechanism for compensation. They note a major price disparity where white potato prices have crashed, but red and diamond variety prices remain relatively higher. "Because mandi averages or modal prices are calculated by combining both varieties, the overall price appears inflated," the union alleged. This practice, they argue, unfairly excludes white potato farmers from BBY benefits, causing them direct financial loss.
Calling it unjust and misleading, the BKU has demanded that red, diamond, and white potatoes be treated separately for price assessment and compensation, with calculations based strictly on actual sale prices.
Furthermore, the union highlighted serious lapses in the digital procurement system. They claim that despite potato arrivals in mandis, verification of farmers' registered produce on the portal remains incomplete. "As a result, quotas are not being issued on the e-procurement portal and online gate passes are not being generated," the letter states. These technical hurdles are forcing farmers to sell their produce at distress prices.
Ultimatum and Key Demands
Listing its non-negotiable demands, BKU (Charuni) has called for:
- Separate price determination for different potato varieties.
- Calculation of BBY compensation based solely on actual mandi sale prices.
- Immediate verification of registered potato crops on the government portal.
- Restoration of the online gate pass system by issuing quotas on the e-procurement portal.
- The immediate implementation of the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana.
The union ended with a stern warning, holding the state government and concerned departments solely responsible for the heavy losses white potato growers will suffer if prompt intervention is not forthcoming. They further cautioned that failure to address these demands without delay would compel the union to adopt a path of agitation.
