Odisha farmers dump vegetables, pulses on road protesting distress sale

Jajpur: Hundreds of farmers under the banner of Navnirman Krushak Sangathan (NKS), an Odisha-based farmers’ outfit, today dumped vegetables, pulses, milk and peanuts on road at Chandokhole Chhak in Jajpur district protesting distress sale of their produce.

The farmers of the district, who are battling distress sale of groundnut, pulses, coriander, milk and vegetables, had submitted a memorandum to the Jajpur collector in this regard but it didn’t yield any fruitful solution. Hence, they hit the streets today protesting the distress sale, the farmers said.

They have reiterated their demands of price, prestige and pension besides crop loan waiver.

At a Chasi Samavesh organised by the Jajpur district committee of the NKS, Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, NKS advisor, said the development of the nation is not possible without providing solution to the problem of the farmers.

“All governments should now learn that until they bring agriculture and farmers to the central focus of their policies, they will have have to face such satyagrahas,” said Patnaik.

“We want to give a message to all political parties through this protest that they should stop shedding crocodile tears for farmers. What were the parties doing when farmers were committing suicide,” he asked.

“The farmers of Odisha are not getting the right amount for selling their produce. The earnings are not sufficient to repay the crop loans,” he added.