Members of the Bharatiya Kisan Union brought traffic on the Ambala-Hisar highway to a standstill near the New Grain Market on Saturday, acting over unresolved paddy procurement grievances. Road closures tied to the blockade left people travelling that stretch of road facing delays throughout the disruption.
Driving tractors and trailer-loaded wagons, the farming contingent took up a position at the centre of the road to make their demonstration visible. News of the incident reached sub-divisional magistrate Darshan Lal and nearby police officers, who made their way to the location without delay. Farmers were told their concerns would be passed along to the government.
The protesters held their ground, keeping the road closed and making clear that their list of demands would need to be addressed before any consideration of standing down. Traffic diversions were put in place by officials after the protest took hold, with vehicles steered onto alternate roads to ease the bottleneck the blockade had created.
Farmers taking part in the protests have been pushing for the paddy procurement cap — fixed at 26.26 quintals per acre — to be lifted entirely. Farmers argue that a cap on purchased volumes bars them from selling their entire harvest at the guaranteed minimum price, a floor they say should be adjusted upward to reflect higher yields. The proposed threshold stands at 32 quintals per acre, a figure put forward on the grounds that it aligns more closely with actual harvest volumes.
Gaining timely registration of their harvests through the "Meri Fasal Mera Byora" portal — the gateway through which produce moves to market — also stands among the demands the farmers have put forward. Objections have been raised over deductions tied to moisture-level readings, which those affected argue place an undue burden on their operations.
Their call covers three areas: an end to the deductions being applied, swift removal of purchased grain from procurement centres, and payment reaching them within agreed timeframes.
Mohri, who leads the farmer group, raised questions about how the 26.26-quintal-per-acre procurement ceiling was arrived at, pointing out that output on many farms in the area already runs past the 30-quintal mark. Farmers have voiced objections to the gap between policy and practice, arguing that existing arrangements fall short of addressing their day-to-day realities.
Disputes over crop procurement thresholds and payment procedures have fed a wider rift between farming communities and the administration over how agricultural policy is being managed. As the demonstration continues, it remains unclear how the administration intends to respond to the agricultural community's demands or whether renewed dialogue between the two sides will take shape.
