What is the role of the arhtiya in farming?

The arhtiya, however, also finances the farmer. That, plus his income from commission being dependent on the quantity and value of produce routed through him, aligns the arhtiya’s interests much more with those of the farmer.

Who are arhtiyas and why are they protesting in Punjab?

There are around 28,000 licensed commission agents in Punjab. As per leaders of different unions, Arhtiyas are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with farmers in their ongoing protest against the Farm Laws 2020 and the raids were an attempt to divide the farmer and arhtiya unity to sabotage this movement. Who are Arhtiyas?

How many farmers are there in an arhtiya in Punjab?

On an average, every arhtiya in Punjab can have 65 farmers associated with him, but this number varies from 50 to 200 farmers associated with each arhtiya, who are big, medium and small. In the mandis, arhtiyas acts as a facilitator between the farmers and the purchasers (both government and private players).

What is the history of arhtiya system?

“Arhtiya system is as old as the mandi system and it goes back to the period of Sher Shah Suri around 500 years back when the system of gall mandis was quite prevalent and in those mandis arhtiyas or middlemen system was also prevailing,” Cheema said.

Why are farmers protesting and supporting arhtiyas?

The protesting farmers feel that this delay will in effect have a domino effect and delay the sowing for the next crop. This is why farmers have been outrightly supporting arhtiyas in their opposition to the Bills. Satnam Singh is a medium farmer with a landholding of 8 acres.

What is the role of the arhtiya in Patiala?

Mulkh Raj Gupta, the president of the Arhtiya Association in Patiala explained the role of the arhtiya. “The farmer brings his produce to us. Our labour unloads the produce and cleans it. Following this, auctions happen. We help the farmer with the auctions in the mandi.