Farmers protest in Nabha after firm refuses to honour potato deal

Patiala: Tension prevailed in Nabha town on Monday after some farmers accused a Uttar Pradesh-based company of fraud in a contract-farming arrangement and staged a brief road blockade, alleging the firm refused to procure potatoes despite agreements guaranteeing Rs 10 per kg.The farmers said the company supplied potato seeds of its choice and entered into written agreements promising to buy the harvested crop at a fixed rate. However, when the produce was brought for procurement, the company allegedly declined to accept it. They claimed the local intermediary through whom the company initially contacted them was now purchasing the same potatoes at Rs 4 to Rs 4.5 per kg. The agreement documents shown by farmers were written in Hindi.
Nirmal Singh, a farmer from Narmana village, said his contract covered 1,200 sacks of potatoes. He alleged that after purchasing 600 sacks, the company rejected the remaining produce from the same field on what he described as "unjustified grounds." "The company supplied us the seeds at Rs 2,500 per bag of 45kg and contracted for procurement at Rs 10 per kg of potato, but now rejecting as they knew there's glut in the market and farmers don't have much option than to sell it at lower prices. We had sown the crop around three months ago," he said. Malkeet Singh from Phammalwal village said the company supplied seeds at Rs 52 per kg, but was now refusing to accept the harvested crop and returning it.Farmers said they were drawn into the arrangement through intermediaries and were now being compelled to sell their produce back to the same middlemen at distress prices. They warned such practices were pushing cultivators into financial hardship.Daljinder Singh Gurna, farmer leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Dakaunda), said nearly 800 farmers were waiting for their crop to be procured and demanded intervention by authorities.Nabha DSP Gurinder Singh Bal confirmed that police began an inquiry. He said efforts were underway to contact company representatives and that appropriate action would follow based on the findings of the investigation.