As sunflower harvesting gains momentum, farmers in Ambala have started bringing their produce to grain markets.
However, since procurement is scheduled to commence from June 1, farmers are being asked to return after drying and cleaning their produce. With the crop now ready for procurement, farmers are urging the state government to begin sunflower seed procurement earlier, preferably from May 25.
The Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sunflower during the Rabi marketing season 2026-27 is Rs 7,721 a quintal.
A sunflower farmer from Tigri village of Kurukshetra, Kanwarpal, who reached the Ambala Cantonment Grain Market, said “The farmers don’t have ample space to spread their produce for drying and cleaning. Moreover, the absence of labour is another major challenge for us, due to which we reach the grain market for getting the produce cleaned. My crop is ready for sale, but the procurement begins from June 1, thus I will take it back and come again. It also increases financial strain with added transportation costs since I’ll have to pay for the loading and unloading charges again and there is no other option.”
“Sunflower is a sensitive crop and gives farmers very little time to collect the seeds in case of strong winds or rain. A portion of the crop can be lost within minutes. I will wait for the government procurement to begin and sell my produce at the MSP,” he said.
A commission agent at the grain market said that farmers are showing no interest in selling their produce to private buyers, as they would get rates lower than the MSP. “They are taking the crop back, keeping it loaded in trailers, and will return once procurement begins. There is a bumper crop this year and the quality is also good,” he added.
According to Deputy Director Agriculture (DDA), Dr Jasvinder Singh, nearly 10 per cent of the harvesting has been completed so far, and the pace is expected to increase in the coming days.
Secretary of New Grain Market, Neeraj Bhardwaj, said, “Farmers are bringing their produce to the grain market for drying and cleaning. Procurement will begin on June 1. Last year, around 40,000 quintals of stock arrived here, and we are expecting higher arrivals this year.”
Meanwhile, Bhartiya Kisan Union (Charuni) spokesperson Rakesh Bains said, “The union has requested the state government to advance procurement to May 25. Since the area under sunflower cultivation has increased this year, the government should ensure that procurement continues until the entire crop is purchased at the MSP. The procurement process should continue at least till July 15.”
