Wheat procurement crisis: Haryana traders threaten stir

By Kumar Mukesh

Trade leaders in Haryana have threatened to shutter grain markets across the state unless the govt resolves mounting delays in wheat procurement, lifting, and farmer payments.

The Haryana Pradesh Trade Board accused authorities of orchestrating a seasonal crisis through “unjustified” new regulations and systemic technical failures during the peak harvest period. Bajrang Garg, the board’s provincial president and former chairman of Haryana Confed, has told reporters following a grain market summit that govt policies are causing “undue harassment” to both farmers and commission agents.

Garg said: “Farmers have been struggling to sell their wheat for nearly two weeks, yet procurement and lifting have failed to pick up pace. There is congestion both inside and outside grain markets as stocks remain unsold and uncleared.”

The trade board highlighted grievances related to technical glitches, restrictive rules, and infrastructure deficits disrupting the mandis (state-run markets). Traders claim the govt’s online procurement system is plagued by malfunctions, stalling transactions on the ground. Garg slammed requirements for biometric verification, tractor number plate registration, and the naming of guarantors as “unacceptable” hurdles. The board alleged a severe shortage of essential supplies, including wooden crates and tarpaulins.

Garg said large quantities of wheat were stored in the open, leaving the crop vulnerable to weather damage. The trade board has issued an ultimatum to the govt: streamline operations and release delayed payments or face a total shutdown of the state’s grain markets. State officials have not yet issued a formal response to the protest warning.

This article has ben republished from The Times of India.