Farmers in western MP launch agitation, stop supplies

Indore: Farmers in several parts of western Madhya Pradesh on Thursday launched a ten-day-long agitation, stopping supply of milk, food grains and vegetables to protest lack of good prices for farm produce.

Protesters stopped vehicles carrying fruits, vegetables and food grains and emptied milk containers on roads.

"We gave call for protest through the social media which has evoked a good response from farmers. Prices of food grains have nosedived and farmers are not even recovering the money they invested," MP Kisan Sena secretary Jagdish Rawalia told PTI.

Farmers in Indore, Ujjain, Dewas, Jhabua, Neemuch and Mandsaur districts are supporting the protest, he said.

"We want to make bureaucracy aware of the ground reality in the wake of announcement by the NDA government and the state to double farmers' income," he added.

Madhya Pradesh finance minister Jayant Malaiya sought to downplay extent of the protest.

However, the government was willing to talk to the farmers, the minister said.

"Only a handful of farmers were protesting and there was no report of shortage of food grains, milk, fruits and vegetables in any part of the state," he said.

"We are ready for talks with farmers," he added.

Farmers in the state are happy, and MP has bagged five consecutive awards set up by the Centre for food production, the minister said.