Basmati bonanza: UP farmers strike gold in Haryana

While paddy transplantation in Haryana is still under way, farmers from neighbouring western Uttar Pradesh (UP) are cashing in on an extraordinary surge in basmati prices in Haryana's mandis.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

Riding on the back of early harvests and an open market system, these farmers are fetching between Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,500 per quintal for the early-maturing Pusa 1509 variety. Rates have not gone this high in the past several years.

As per mandi officials, over 20 lakh quintals of paddy have already been traded in grain markets located along Haryana and Uttar Pradesh borders in Karnal, Panipat, Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra districts since June-end.

What's striking is that over 95% of this stock has been brought in by UP farmers, particularly from districts like Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli and Baghpat, who have long relied on Haryana's regulated markets to secure better prices.

"Since the start of arrivals, we've received nearly 25,000 bags (50 kg each) from UP farmers," said Rishi Kumar, an accountant at Karnal's new grain market, adding that the tempo of arrivals has only increased with the rise in prices.