Hubballi (Karnataka): Farmers in Karnataka’s Hubballi are facing severe hardship due to the lack of gunny bags for the procurement of chickpeas at support price centres, triggering widespread anger among growers who say administrative lapses are delaying purchases and exposing their produce to damage.
Despite sustained protests and struggles by farmers, the government had only recently begun procurement of groundnuts at the support price in the district. However, a similar mechanism for chickpeas has run into logistical issues, with procurement centres running short of empty sacks required to store the produce.
As a result, heaps of chickpeas can be seen lying in the open outside procurement centres. In several cases, farmers have been forced to bring old burlap sacks from their homes to pack the produce themselves and leave it at the centres, highlighting the gravity of the situation.
According to official data, as many as 23,393 farmers have registered across 36 Primary Agricultural Cooperative Society centres for chickpea procurement. However, only 6,400 farmers have been able to sell their produce so far, with about 1,14,078 quintals procured till March 24. Farmers allege that nearly 60 per cent of the produce remains lying outside procurement centres due to delays and lack of storage arrangements.
Farmer leader Heman Gowda criticised the authorities for their “irresponsible approach”, stating that farmers who toiled under difficult conditions to grow chickpeas are now being forced to wait endlessly for procurement. Another farmer, Shivananda, said the absence of gunny bags has brought the entire process to a standstill, leaving growers distressed.
Farmers further said that unseasonal rains pose a serious threat to the piled-up produce. “If it rains, the entire crop will be damaged. We are forced to sit in front of procurement centres for days,” said Chennappa Gowda, another farmer.
In Dharwad district, procurement figures show disparities across taluks. While Navalgund recorded the highest purchases, Hubli taluk reported minimal procurement. For instance, only 72 quintals were procured at Koliwada No. 2 centre in Hubli taluk, compared to 262 quintals at Hebballi in Dharwad taluk.
Farmers also complained that even after a month of registration, many have not been called to bring their produce to procurement yards. In some cases, cooperative societies have failed to lift the filled bags already deposited by farmers.
With most farmers having cultivated crops through loans, delays in procurement have increased financial pressure, forcing many to consider distress sales in the open market at lower prices.
Farmers have urged the government to immediately supply adequate gunny bags and streamline procurement operations to prevent further losses and hardship.
(IANS)
