‘Daughter’s wedding is tomorrow. Need money for tika’: Farmer breaks down after dispute stalls crop auction at mandi

GUNA: A farmer broke down inside the Nanakhedi Krishi Upaj Mandi in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district on Tuesday after the auction of crops came to a halt following a dispute involving a market inspector.

Standing beside sacks of freshly harvested coriander and mustard, the farmer from Shripurchak village folded his hands and pleaded with traders and officials to buy his produce, saying he urgently needed money for his daughter’s wedding scheduled the next day.

“Please buy my crop. My daughter’s wedding is tomorrow. I need money for the tika ceremony,” he said, visibly distressed.

The disruption began in the morning after a disagreement over the bidding price of coriander. According to farmers, a trader had offered Rs 5,700 per quintal for the crop, but the mandi inspector on duty, Rajkumar Sharma, allegedly recorded the price as Rs 5,400 on the slip.



When the farmer objected to the Rs 300 discrepancy, an argument broke out. Witnesses alleged that the inspector, who they claimed was intoxicated, behaved abusively during the exchange. Angered by the incident, traders stopped bidding in protest, bringing auction activities in the mandi to a standstill.

With purchases halted for hours, several farmers who had arrived at the market early in the morning were left stranded with their produce.

The situation escalated when farmers staged a protest and briefly blocked the AB Road National Highway, disrupting traffic. Police from the Cantonment station reached the spot and persuaded the protesters to clear the road.

Farmers said the disruption caused significant financial strain. Giriraj Yadav, one of the farmers present at the mandi, said many had arrived around 7am to sell their produce and arrange money for urgent family expenses.

“We had a bid of Rs 5,700 but it was reduced by Rs 300. No one from the administration is taking responsibility. Many of us came here because we need money for family obligations,” he said, adding that some farmers would now have to pay tractor transport charges twice.

The incident drew political attention as well. Former minister Jaivardhan Singh described the scene of a farmer crying in the mandi to sell his own crop as deeply disturbing.

“The farmer is pleading to sell his grain because his daughter’s wedding is tomorrow. The very people who feed the country are being humiliated,” Singh said, demanding strict action against those responsible.

Mandi Secretary RP Singh acknowledged that the dispute stemmed from the conduct of the inspector. He said complaints had been received that Sharma was intoxicated during duty and that a medical examination would be conducted.

Officials later removed the inspector from duty and initiated an inquiry. A spot panchnama has been prepared and a report sent to higher authorities, Singh said, adding that steps would be taken to ensure farmers do not face similar disruptions in the future.