Farmers Call for 10-Day Nationwide Strike, Dump Vegetables on Road

Over 100 farmer organisations across seven states have called for a 10-day strike to demand a complete loan waiver, higher prices for their produce, and implementation of the MS Swaminathan Committee recommendations.

The ‘Kisan Avkash’, which began on 1 June and end on 10 June, saw farmers dumping their produce and milk on the street in an attempt to reduce supplies to urban centres, which would lead to a rise in prices.

We had set a few guidelines to prevent the protest from becoming violent. The government usually tries to make protests violent. So, we decided to stick to the villages. We will not go to the cities and buy anything. Our motive is not to inconvenience anyone. The farmers simply want the attention of the administration

Shivkumar Sharma, RKMM convenor, at press conference in Bhopal on Friday, 1 June

The protesting farmer organisations, under the aegis of the Rashtriya Kisan Maha Sangh, have begun staging protests in Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Kerala.

Meanwhile, politicians continued to trade barbs without finding any solution to contain the protests.

Its not like they don’t have a reason to protest. They are just protesting about unnecessary things. Not selling produce will only bring loss to farmers.

Manohar Lal Khattar, CM, Haryana, to ANI

Its 2 June today, where is the strike happening? No farmers are participating in the strike. Farmers are happy with the schemes Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan has launched for them. They have faith that the state and central govt will solve their problems.  

Balkrishna Patidar, Minister for Agriculture, Madhya Pradesh

Amid ongoing farmers' protest, Agriculture Secretary SK Pattanayak on Friday, 1 June, said many of their issues are local in nature and the Centre will take it up with the respective state governments.

The protest had an impact on supplies, with prices rising sharply at urban centres.