UP farmers cry foul as Centre gives nod for duty-free import of wheat

The Centre’s latest decision to allow duty-free imports of wheat has led to a swarm of protests in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh, with independent farmer organisations tying up with different political parties to demand scrapping of the decision and waiving of loans to the farmers.

In the wake of demonetisation which is hampering procurement of seeds and fertilisers for the ongoing sowing of the Rabi crop in the two main wheat growing states – Uttar Pradesh and Punjab – the December 8 notification by the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) that allows duty free imports of wheat seems to be the last straw for the struggling farmers. Earlier on Monday, a number of protests were held in Hathras, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Agra, Moradabad and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh by different farmers’ organisations. Also visible was the western-UP centric Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) headed by former Agriculture Minister Ajit Singh.

Speaking to BusinessLine , Ajit Singh said that allowing duty-free import of wheat is a “disastrous” decision that will hurt the farmer, who is already reeling under the severe impact of demonetisation and non-availability of cash.

“Demonetisation has had a regressive impact on the farmer, whose capacity to buy seed and fertiliser in the sowing season has been severely depleted. The vegetable growers have also been hit because of non-availability of cash in the mandis. Their sugarcane and paddy crop sold at a much lower price than even the reduced MSP. And now, the Centre is allowing duty free import of wheat till February-March, when the new crop will come into the market.

“And this is happening when the Agriculture Minister says there is no shortage of wheat. It looks as if no one understands rural economy in this government,” said Ajit Singh. According to Jitender Singh Hudda, an independent farmer who has been busy organising protests across western UP, the BJP is heading the most “anti farmer” government in the Centre.

“The paddy prices were hit, our sugarcane price was hit and vegetable growers have been struggling with no cash in the mandis. The Agriculture Minister has been saying that we will have a bumper wheat crop this season. Then why has the decision to import duty free wheat been taken? Who did they ask? The BJP has proven to be the most anti-farmer party in the past two decades,” Hudda told BusinessLine.

The farmers are planning a bigger protest in Delhi in the coming days.