‘Kadda Pratha’ sparks farmers’ unrest in Gujarat, govt on alert

The agitation against ‘Kadda Pratha’, which first erupted at the Botad Marketing Yard, has now turned into a major flashpoint for farmers across Saurashtra, leaving the government deeply concerned, as per reports.

What began as a local grievance in Botad has spread rapidly to Surendranagar, Rajkot, and Amreli districts — with tensions now building up ahead of a farmers’ Mahapanchayat scheduled on October 31 in Sudamda village of Surendranagar. Fearing another Botad-like flare-up, the administration and police have gone on high alert.

At the heart of the agitation lies the long-standing Kadda Pratha, a system under which traders allegedly exploit farmers by manipulating the auction process in APMCs. 

A ‘Kaddo’ is a quantity of a particular crop brought by a farmer, which is presented for sale in a marketing yard. This quantity is kept in a pile at a particular place and after its inspection, weight and quality are checked, it is sold through auction.

Farmers complain that due to this system, they are consistently denied fair prices for their crops, including cotton and groundnut.

Traders reportedly form cartels, decide the rates in advance, and purchase the produce at unreasonably low prices. Meanwhile, government procurement through the agriculture department has remained tangled in delays and mismanagement, giving middlemen a free hand to profit.

According to rough estimates, farmers collectively lose more than ₹500 crore every year because of the Kadda practice.

The first major protest broke out at the Botad Marketing Yard, where farmers held a Mahapanchayat demanding the abolition of the Kadda system. The situation turned tense when discussions with the police failed to yield results. Agitated farmers pelted stones, damaged police vehicles, and more than 60 protesters were detained.

Now, as the call for a Saurashtra-wide movement grows louder, the state government has begun damage control by announcing an agricultural package. However, the farmers’ mood suggests that they are unwilling to settle for partial relief. Their core demand is a complete end to the practice.

Officials fear that if the unrest continues, it could spill over into the political arena and influence upcoming local body and municipal elections.

The growing discontent over this exploitative setup has now united farmers across Saurashtra, with the October 31 Mahapanchayat expected to become a decisive moment in their fight for justice.