Modi’s Gujarat farmers forced to sell chickpeas cheaper than the support price

Loss of crores to farmers who do not sell chickpeas at the support price
Gandhinagar, 5 March 2021
The central government has verbally stated that support prices will be found when implementing the new law. But by making provisions in the law, farmers are not ready to be assured. An example of this is the chickpea crop in Gujarat. The Narendra Modi government of BJP at the Center has fixed the support price of Chole in Gujarat at Rs 1,020. But farmers in Gujarat sell for between 625 to 900 kg. On an average, they are getting Rs 800 per 20 kg. Vijay Rupani’s BJP government has also proved insolvent in buying at the support price.
Thus farmers lose 400 to 125 per 20 kg. On an average, they are getting Rs 300 less. If the labor and labor of the farmer and the rent and profit of the farm are added to it, then the cost of 20 kg is 1500–1600. In fact, the farmers’ goods should have been sold for Rs 1,500. Thus the loss is large.
Price loot
This means that the farmers are selling the chickpeas at half the price. Yet the Gujarat government and the central government are witnessing looting. No action is being taken against the traders or APMC, even though they are being bought at low prices. Prices are APMC but traders go to villages and buy goods directly from farmers, they buy 20 kg for 500 rupees. Thus, the farmers are being looted under Rupani’s rule. Even though the farmers have voted for the BJP in the local bodies, the farmers are being wasted.

Gram areas are ruined
Grams are grown in Porbandar’s Ghaed and in the Bhal region of Ahmedabad and Botad districts. Ahmedabad and Porbandar, where chickpeas are the most harvested and sold, have seen prices ranging from Rs 625 to Rs 626. Agriculture Minister Ranchhod has 850 to 900 in Jamnagar village of Faldu. In Rajkot, the village of Supply Minister Jayesh Radadia, the prices range from Rs 860 to Rs 920. His constituency Dhoraji-Jetpur is priced at 841-906.

Cultivation in 8.19 lakh hectares
In 2020, chickpeas were planted in 8.19 lakh hectares. Which was planted in 3.78 lakh hectare in 2019 last year. In the next 3 years, an average of 3 lakh hectares was planted.

1500 kg is produced per hectare
The chickpeas do not cook during the kharif and summer season. Also, chickpeas are harvested during the Rabi season. Farmers are expected to harvest 12.50 lakh tonnes of chickpeas in 8 lakh hectares. In 2019-20, 6.35 lakh tonnes of gram were produced on 4 lakh hectares. Gujarat produces an average of 1568–1600 kg of a gram per hectare.

No water zone
Kabuli gram growing area is mostly waterlogged and most of the time nothing grows on their fields. Hence chickpeas are planted after the monsoon. It can also occur in saline soil in winter. Chickpeas require less water. The water of the Nardama canal does not reach there, there are fields of gram.

Big loss
Most of the low-income farmers growing gram are. They are expected to produce 1,22,86,50,000 (123 crore kilograms or 123 lakh quintals or 12.30 lakh tons) chickpeas in 8.19 lakh hectares.
Out of 12.50 lakh tonnes of chickpeas, 50 percent of the farmers sell gram from their fields. It is estimated that 625 million tonnes of gram have been sold. At Rs 800 per 20 kg, chickpeas worth Rs 5,000 crore have been sold. There may be a loss of Rs 1352 crore.
In fact, if the cost of production is calculated at Rs 1500 per 20 kg, then the loss is Rs 700. Accordingly, the actual loss of Rs 4300 crore to the farmers can be considered. Thus, many farmers have suffered financial losses due to non-support prices. Even though the farmers voted for the BJP, but 8 to 10 lakh farmers have been left on the path of ruin by the Rupani government. (Translated from Gujarati)