Vishav Bharti
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SpYWKoykF4
Barnala, January 23
Rows upon rows of tractors await buyers at one of the biggest tractor mandis in Punjab, a scene replicated every Monday in Barnala. What's peculiar is that everyone, it seems, is here to sell, not buy.
The mandi was started in 1995 by Gurmail Singh, a small-time tractor mechanic from Bhadaur who realised the business potential of selling old tractors. People would come to buy and sell both old and new tractors. It used to be a thriving mandi, he says, till a slump in the last eight to 10 months. "It has been unprecedented," he adds. "All of a sudden, the situation is such that nobody seems to need a tractor. The other mandis I visit are seeing a similar situation."
Nahar Singh, who hails from Bilaspur village, agrees. A trader, he has been associated with this mandi from day one. In his 70s, he made good fortune from the sale of old tractors over the past two decades, but now it is middlemen who hold sway.
He says most tractors here are being offered by farmers who have bought these on loan from either banks or private financiers, but failed to pay
the instalments. "Almost every tractor here belongs to debt-ridden farmers. But none of them would tell you that he is selling the tractor because of debt," he adds.
Nahar Singh recalls an incident from last week's mandi. A farmer needed money urgently and had brought his HMT 3511 model for sale. There were not many buyers. Someone offered him Rs 30,500, he sold it off and left in haste. "And 15 minutes later, the same tractor was bought by a scrap dealer from Samana for Rs 55,000. Such cases are common," he says.
He points toward a row of brand new looking tractors. "Why are these tractors on sale? If one buys a new tractor, he is expected to drive it for three to four years. They http://sakata.co.za/home
