Farmers take out silent march to protest non-Basmati export ban

Moga, Oct 23 (UNI) In response to a call given by the Bharti Kisan Union (BKU), farmers today took out silent protest marches at the district headquarter towns of Moga, Fategarh Sahib, Tarn Taran Amritsar, Kapurthala, Mohali and Hoshiarpur to protest against the ban on export of non-basmati rice.

They submitted memoranda to the respective deputy commissioners demanding lifting of the ban. The memoranda were addressed to the Prime Minister.

The farmers pointed out that the ban on various non-Basmati rice including the finer varieties of PR 1121 and PB 106 and Sharbati had caused considerable loss to the farming community. During the current season, the area under the finer varieties had increased in Punjab as compared to the previous years.

The protesting farmers said that with the ban, the private millers had stopped purchase of the finer non-Basmati varieties at rates higher than the MSP.

Meanwhile the BKU is planning to close down all 'mandis' in Punjab for at least two days to protest the ban. The farmers have been being supported by the commission agents and rice exporters.

UNI