Haryana Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, has announced plans to set up an oil factory in Kurukshetra with a production capacity of 20,000 metric tonnes. The move is aimed to ease the burden of sunflower farmers who have been agitating for relief due to lack of support from the government. The Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation Limited (HAFED) has been buying sunflower seeds from farmers at Rs 4800 along with the government giving interim assistance of Rs 1000 under the ‘Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana‘ to the growers.
In a statement made on Sunday, the CM said that the government will undertake measures to ensure farmers get prices closer to the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The oil factory, planned on four acres of land in Kurukshetra, will provide farmers with a better market for their produce. Moreover, the factory is capable of producing a volume of 20,000 metric tonnes, which will reap significant benefits for farmers.
The decision comes in the backdrop of recent farmer protests blocking the Delhi-Chandigarh national highway. The protests were staged to demand the MSP for sunflower seeds. The farmers claimed that the government was buying sunflower seeds below the MSP, forcing them to sell at Rs 4,000 per quintal against the MSP of Rs 6,400.
The move to establish the oil factory in Kurukshetra is expected to bring relief to farmers as they will have better access to markets and prices closer to the MSP. Haryana has been making strides to develop the agricultural sector with several initiatives in pipeline for the farmers’ benefit.
