Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (KSS)demands the state government should make payment worth Rs 72 crore of 'C' grade apples procured by its agencies, HPMC and HIMFED under the Mandi Intervention Scheme (MIS) with immediate effect as the last season was ruined by heavy rains and hailstorms causing losses to the tune of Rs 1500 crore to the farmers.
KSS coordinator Sanjay Chauhan said the government has announced during the by-election that it would make payment of the MIS fruit brought from the farmers within this year as the amount has been kept for the purpose. But the government has forgotten its promise, he claimed.
He said the HIMFED and HPMC procured C grade apples worth Rs 72 crores. Due heavy hailstorm and rain about 50 percent of the crop in the state was affected that caused loss of Rs 1500 crore to the farmers in the state, he said.
Not only this, the markets crashed in mid season and farmers were forced to sell the fruit to HPMC and HIMFED under the MIS to non-availability of reasonable prices in the markets while prices of packaging materials increased drastically.
Chauhan said there are a good number of farmers whose apple crop had suffered a lot due to hailstorm and they had no option other than selling the entire crop under MIS.
He said the government has neither provided any relief to compensate the farmers nor does it pay their dues from the HPMC and HIMFED till date that has made difficult for them to bear the day-to-day expenses. In such a situation, a large number of growers have not been able to arrange ration for the had winter months, Chauhan said.
He said if the government does not pay them in time, their livelihood crisis will deepen. The farmers have not been able to pay the KCC loans.
Complicating the crisis is that the cost price of the fruit is increasing due to costly commodities in agriculture, and crash of manids during the harvesting season, he said.
KSS charged the APMC Act 2005 is being openly blown up by traders and buyers by not paying the farmers on time. HPMC also is forcing the growers to buy unnecessary items from its stores instead of paying in cash to them.
Kisan Sangharsh Samiti will mobilize the farmers to launch a stir against the government to get their dues, Chauhan warned.
