Uttar Pradesh farmers resent hike in fuel prices

Gorakhpur, June 28 (ANI): Farmers in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur region are worried over increase in diesel and other petroleum prices.

They said that the increase in price just prior the sowing season is not only affecting the marginal farmers but also taxing the rich farmers as the agricultural input costs are affected by the steep rise in petroleum products.

"Due to diesel price hike, the prices of fertilisers and seeds have also gone high. Wherever we go we have to buy them at higher rates and this is massively affecting our farming," said Ramvriksh Yadav, a farmer.

They also that due to delayed monsoon, the agricultural lands are to be irrigated by operating diesel-run water pumps.

They said that most of the farmers these days are dependent on tractors and do not use old techniques of tilling the land with bullocks.

"We don't have any other substitute as now due to modern facilities; we don't have bulls any more and we are dependent on tractors. We farmers are being highly affected by this price hike," observed Sachidanand Pal, another farmer.

On Friday, central government decided to raise petrol and diesel prices, as part of a plan to move towards a market-determined fuel price regime in accordance with the Kirit Parikh Committee recommendation.

The government has raised the price of petrol by rupees 3.73 per litre while rupees two for diesel. (ANI)