Rajkot: Procurement of groundnut at minimum support price (MSP) began at over 90 market yards across Saurashtra on Thursday morning, with many farmers opposing the government’s procedure. Several farmers blocked road in Gondal market yard, while some others in Khambhalia burned their crops to registered their protest. Sources said that most of the farmer who had come to the market yards with their produce refrained from selling it.One of the major problems faced at all the market yard was ignorance of the filed officers about government notification. The state government had recently announced criteria that 30kg groundnut will be required in fill one bag. However the field staff insisted on 35 kg quoting the rule of last year as they were not aware of the new government notification, complained the farmers.Farmers argued that this year the crop was of lower quality compare to last year because of insufficient rain and farmers had to harvested it early to save it. They said that the produce was rejected also because of high humidity levels in peanuts.Because of this weight of the peanut was less hence were demanding 30kg in a bag. This year the government has also made it compulsory to sew the jute bags with machines which consume more space in jute bags. This also irked the farmers.The farmers at old marketing yard held protest and blocked the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway for half an hour. Chairman of market yard D K Sakhia announced: “All the bags won’t be checked and only five bags per farmers will be checked randomly.”In Gondal market yard farmers blocked Rajkot-Junagadh highway. In Jetpur market yard cabinet minister Jayesh Radadia had to rush after farmers’ protest.President of Khedut Hitrakshak Samiti Palabhai Ambalia said “Many farmers did not turn up fearing that their crop might get rejected.”At Khambhalia market yard 50 farmers were asked to come to sell on Thursday but only 15 turned up. In Bhatia market yard out 100 only 31 farmers came, said Ambalia“The farmers who came to market yard did not sell the crop and left in protest. Some also burned their crop that was rejected for quality reasons,” he added.

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