Karnal, Oct. 7 -- Even a fortnight after the kharif marketing season officially began in Haryana, farmers continue to struggle to sell their produce at government purchase centres. Repeated protests by farmer unions and independent growers across mandis have exposed how peasants are forced to wait for hours to sell their crop below the Minimum Support Price (MSP), even as inclement weather poses a constant threat. At Karnal's new grain market, 62-year-old Kanwar Pal from Uchana village waited since Sunday morning for his paddy to be procured. "I arrived at the mandi with the crop harvested from half of my ten acres. Due to bad weather warnings, I left the rest for next week. There is no government purchase here. Private players are offering Rs.1,800 per quintal against the MSP of Rs.2,369 - this is ridiculous," he said, covering his grain lying in the open as dark clouds gathered overhead. The meteorological department had predicted light to heavy rain in most parts of the state from October 5 to 7. The IMD reported rainfall in Yamunanagar (41 mm), Narnaul (18.5 mm), Sirsa (16.5 mm), Ambala (14.5 mm) and Kaithal (5 mm). "If the rain continues, my crop's price will fall further and I'll face more problems harvesting the remaining fields," Pal said. Another farmer, Maan Singh, said it was his third day at the Karnal mandi. "No purchase agency representative has approached me yet," he added. Commission agents claimed the crisis stemmed from official negligence and the absence of rice millers from the procurement process. "In the absence of government purchase, farmers are forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices," said Pawan Kumar, a local commission agent. Bahadur Mehla, spokesperson of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU), alleged that the government was deliberately delaying the issue of millers' participation to avoid paying MSP. "Digital weighing scales haven't been installed yet despite directives. Farmers are being cheated on the pretext of moisture content and are forced to sell at Rs.500-600 per quintal less than MSP," he said. However, market committee secretary Asha Rani maintained that procurement was going on smoothly. "All digital scales will be installed within one or two days," she said. In a statement, a state government spokesperson said, "Haryana has ensured timely MSP payments by directly transferring Rs.1,014.19 crore to farmers' bank accounts. So far, 81,410 farmers have sold their paddy through a transparent and hassle-free process." Farmers in Ambala and Yamunanagar said they were already reeling from heavy monsoon rains and reduced yield. At Yamunanagar's grain market, several were seen hurriedly collecting their grain by hand to prevent damage from rainwater. On Sunday, farmers led by BKU state president Rattan Mann blocked the main gate of Karnal mandi, alleging no purchase, causing long queues of tractors and trailers along National Highway-44. Former chief minister and leader of opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda met farmers at the protest site, followed by Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) national president Ajay Chautala, who also joined the dharna....