RAJKOT, Oct 25: Even as crushing has begun at most of the oil mills in the region and the groundnut oil prices started showing a down trend under influence of the Mumbai market, the Saurashtra unit of Bhartiya Kishan Sangh has planned agitation from tomorrow against the falling groundnut prices to save growers.Sources at the Labh Pancham market here on Sunday predicted a further fall in the prices. On Saturday, the oil prices dropped by Rs 18 per tin of 20 kg and over Rs 50 in the week. The prices elsewhere in Saurashtra ruled at Rs 51 to 52 per kg. With a bright sun for the past few days, sources expect fresh arrivals in good quantity when the markets open tomorrow after the Diwali vacation.
Meanwhile, the BKS said during the RJP government last year, Savji Korat (now Roads and buildings Minister) and 21 other MLAs had started an agitation even at the slight fall in groundnut prices, But this year, it said, they were not taking any steps despite continuous fall. The BKS announced rallies and bandh in villages from tomorrow till the State Government intervened and saved the growers from incurring any losses.
In Junagadh, groundnut seeds growers association secretary Viram Nandaniya and District Congress Seva Dal president Odhavji Patel said the export of HPS variety of groundnut had registered a sharp fall by 50,000 tonnes this year.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.