Farmer unions across Punjab have announced a ‘rail roko’ protest on April 17 to press for the immediate start of the wheat procurement process.The unions took serious note of the delay in procurement and reported that government procurement agencies have refused to lift the crop from the mandis.The rain-affected and shrivelled grains are failing to meet quality specifications, leaving farmers struggling to sell their produce.Several organisations under the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM- Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have jointly decided to hold the protest, said farmer leader and convener of the 2024-25 Shambhu Board Morcha, Sarwan Singh Pandher. Organisations affiliated with the Azad Kisan Morcha have also extended support.The unions warned that if procurement does not commence immediately with relaxation in norms, rail traffic across Punjab will be blocked from 12 noon to 3 pm on April 17.Farmer leaders expressed strong resentment, pointing out that Punjab farmers had already suffered losses due to earlier floods, for which they received little relief.Another farmer leader, Manjeet Singh Dhaner, said recent adverse weather has further damaged crops and affected wheat quality, but neither the Centre nor the state government has shown adequate urgency.They alleged that the wheat is lying unsold in mandis and farmers are being forced to accept price cuts, with traders exploiting their distress.The unions cautioned that the agitation would be intensified if procurement did not begin promptly with relaxed norms.They also demanded adequate arrangements in mandis, including the availability of gunny bags and basic amenities such as washrooms and shade.Farmer leaders said the call for a rail blockade was a compulsion as farmers could not afford to let their hard-earned crop go to waste.They urged both the Centre and the Punjab government to ensure procurement at full MSP without delay and called for coordinated action by farmer organisations across the state.Earlier SKM leaders Prem Singh Bhangu, Mukesh Chander Sharma and Baldev Singh Latala, in a statement issued here, said that although the purchase has formally begun from April 1, the purchasing agencies continuously refuse to purchase and to enter the produce into their records on account of moisture, shrinkage and discolouring of the grain due to unseasonal rains.They said that the central team visited Punjab to assess the damage caused to wheat due to untimely rain but it has not submitted any report till today for awarding the compensation for about 1.30 lacs acres of damaged wheat and for relaxation of specifications in the purchase.