Haryana farmers block NH seeking early paddy procurement; cops use tear gas

Demanding that the government start paddy procurement without further delay, Haryana farmers blocked Delhi-Chandigarh National Highway-44 near Shahabad in Kurukshetra district for some time on Tuesday, prompting the police to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse them.

The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Charuni) had announced that it would block the national highway on September 22 if paddy procurement did not begin by then. The announcement followed officials' assurance that they would consider advancing procurement.

“The produce of farmers is lying in mandis. Farmers are being forced to wait in the absence of procurement by government agencies at minimum support prices (MSP),” said Gurnam Singh Charuni, president of the organisation.

He added, “As no procurement of paddy has begun till September 22, the farmers don’t have any option but to come to the roads to seek fulfilment of their legitimate demand.” Before the blockade, administrative officials held talks with Charuni on Tuesday morning in an attempt to pacify the farmers.

He said the farmers had initially demanded that procurement begin from September 15, before agreeing to the September 22 start date. Heavy police deployment was made in the area to maintain law and order, while local administrative and police officials reached the spot.

Alternative local routes in Kurukshetra and adjoining areas also remained open, according to sources. On September 15, the Haryana government requested the Centre to advance procurement to September 20 from October 1, citing the early arrival of the crop and farmers' demands.

Under the Centre’s schedule, government procurement of paddy at MSP in Haryana is scheduled from October 1 to November 15, 2026. “Paddy arrivals have already started in various mandis of the State, and farmers are facing difficulties in disposing of their produce during the initial period of the season,” the government said in a letter to the Centre.

Farmers have argued that some early-maturing non-basmati varieties are already ready for harvesting and have started arriving in mandis. They fear being forced to sell their produce below the MSP in the absence of government procurement.

For the kharif marketing season 2026-27, the MSP has been fixed at Rs 2,441 per quintal for common paddy and Rs 2,461 for Grade A paddy. Quality, moisture requirements and farmers’ demand Officials cited quality and moisture requirements for procurement.

They point to the prescribed 17 per cent moisture limit, arguing that freshly harvested paddy can have higher moisture levels and may therefore not immediately meet procurement specifications. However, farmers have maintained that their demand is only for the procurement of dry paddy that has already arrived in the mandis.

Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana has said the government would ensure that farmers do not face difficulties in selling their produce. He also said that private exporters were already procuring basmati rice in the mandis.

The minister earlier said that 24 lakh acres of paddy had been registered on the state government’s Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal, of which 19.34 lakh acres had been verified through satellite imagery, with verification of the remaining area to follow.