Farmers resorted to protests in at least four blocks of Malda on Friday following a directive by the district administration that slashed by a third the quantity of paddy that a farmer can sell to the state government at one go.

Sources said that according to the rule, a farmer can in all sell 90 quintals of paddy to the state government through a Kisan Mandi in year, and at one go can sell up to 30 quintals. But according to the new directive, while he can sell 90 quintals in all, he can now only sell 10 quintals to the state government at one time. It means for 90 quintals, a farmer has to come to the Kisan Mandi nine times.

“So far, the state had been buying according to the rule and many of us have sold 30 quintals in a day. However, on Friday, as we went to sell our produce, we were told that we can, at best, sell 10 quintals a day. To sell the remaining portion, we have to visit the market again. This led to protests,” said Haripada Biswas, a farmer demonstrating in Pakua of Bamangola block.

The agitation initially erupted in Pakua where the farmers locked the Kisan Mandi and resorted to protests. They also blocked the road to demand an immediate revocation of the administration’s directive.

As the day rolled, reports of similar agitations came in from Habibpur, Gazole and Old Malda blocks where hundreds of farmers joined in protests.

“We suspect that eventually, we will not be able to sell our produce to the state because of this directive. This is because any farmer who has 90 quintals of paddy ready for sale will have to visit the mandi for nine days,” said a farmer. “It is inconvenient and expensive.”

All agitators pointed that the new directive would increase their transport costs and discourage a section of farmers to turn up at the government market.

“We suspect that now middlemen will try and exploit this opportunity to buy the produce at a lower rate from the farmers. The administration should immediately withdraw this directive or else we will launch a movement,” said Shakiruddin Sarkar, the Malda district president of Sara Bharat Sanjukta Kisan Sabha, a farmers’ front of RSP that has lent support to the protest.

Officials in Malda district administration confirmed the new order but said the decision had been made to ensure adequate place to stock the food grain purchased from the farmers.

“The decision has been made so that we do not face any problem in storing food grain. There should be no doubt that any farmer can sell 90 quintals to the state but this time he has to sell it across nine days instead of three days,” said Rajarshi Mitra, the district magistrate of Malda.

Partha Saha, the district controller of food and supplies, who issued the order, said some “outsiders” fuelled the protests.

“Local and marginal farmers would be helped by this new order. We have information that some outsiders have triggered the agitation as they have vested interests,” he said.

District BJP leaders were quick to pick up the issue and raise questions at the Mamata Banerjee government.

“The decision made by the administration goes against the farmers. We support their protests and if required, our party will launch a movement on the issue,” said Gobinda Mondal, the district BJP president of Malda.