Madhya Pradesh: Angry at low price, farmer sets garlic crop on fire in Mandsaur

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A farmer set his garlic crop on fire after he failed to get a good rate for it at an agricultural produce market in Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh, officials said.

The incident occurred at Mandsaur Krishi Upaj Mandi Samiti on December 18 and the farmer has been identified as Shankar Singh, a resident of Mahidpur in Ujjain, they added. Mandi Inspector Jagdish Babar said the garlic crop of the farmer was auctioned at around Rs 1400 per quintal since the quality was poor, adding that over 8,000 sacks of garlic had arrived at the market on Saturday, which were sold between Rs 1,000 to Rs 12,000 per quintal depending on the quality.

"Angry that his crop fetched a low rate, the farmer set some 50-60 kilograms of garlic on fire," Babar said, adding that average quality garlic was sold between Rs 2,500 and Rs 5,500 per quintal. Singh, talking to reporters, claimed he had set on fire 150 kilograms of garlic as he had spent Rs 2.5 lakh cultivating it and was getting only Rs 1 lakh when selling it.

A video of the incident showed people standing around the burning heap of garlic and shouting patriotic slogans. A mandi official filed a complaint with Yashodharman police station claiming Singh's crop burning act was pre-planned.

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