Farmers protest demanding higher prices for maize and moong crops

Farmers under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) organised a protest on Tuesday demanding higher prices for maize at moong crops in mandis, reports PTI.

The market price of these commodities is below the minimum support price fixed by the government.

Farmers later met Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and requested him to take steps to ensure that farmers get adequate prices for their produce.

Maize and moong producers are being exploited by the private traders in the mandis paying them less than the MSP, said farmers.

Harinder Singh Lakhowal, general secretary of BKU (Lakhowal) said the moong and maize farmers are being looted in the mandis.

Traders have created a monopoly in mandis due to which farmers are facing losses up to Rs 2,000 per quintal, said farmers leader Darshan Pal.