Sitting among huge mounds of paddy in mandis (grain markets) whose procurement has slowed down, their paddy in the open is gathering moisture, Panjab farmers complain arhtiyas (commission agents) are demanding extra compensation for grain weight loss. Arthiyas are asking for three extra bags per 100 procured or reimbursement equivalent to approximately $35 (₹2,610) per 100 bags. Even the procured grain is not being lifted by millers because of storage issues and farmers are now selling in distress. On 21 Oct, Panjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann threatened millers saying, ‘We have a plan B ready for getting the milling of rice done. Blackmailing will not be allowed.’ On the same day, the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Doaba) blocked the National Highway at Phagwara causing huge difficulties for traffic. By 22 Oct, farmer unions were protesting at 51 places — 25 toll plazas and outside residences of 26 politicians — while the govt. started wooing rice millers with incentives to bring them on board. 2,000 millers have agreed but another 3,500 millers are still averse to milling the paddy (SDW Vol. 2 Issue 42, Story 4). BJP’s union minister for state for Railways and Food Processing Ravneet Singh Bittu says 212 freight trains are moving out the stored paddy and there shall be more storage space soon. Space shortage at the time of paddy procurement is an engineered crisis, which is now being politicized as AAP and BJP compete, harming Punjab’s agrarian ecosystem.
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