Hundreds of potato farmers in Sadiya turned the 8 Mile Tiniali area into a sea of potatoes yesterday, dumping thousands of kilograms of their hard-earned crop onto the highway in protest against cripplingly low prices and ruthless syndicate control.
The demonstration brought traffic to a complete standstill for hours, with tractors and furious cultivators blocking the vital route. Slogans echoed against exploitative traders as farmers symbolically rejected a system that leaves them penniless while middlemen and retailers pocket massive profits.
These are the backbone of Assam’s local food supply; hardworking families who have turned Sadiya into one of the state’s prime potato belts on their own farmland, without outside investors. In recent years, production has surged as vegetable supplies from other states faltered, making local potatoes even more vital. Yet, these very farmers are being crushed under a corrupt syndicate that dictates rock-bottom prices. 
Speaking to Northeast Scoop, one seasoned farmer laid bare the injustice: Traders hoard potatoes which don’t spoil quickly to manipulate supply, while forcing growers to sell at miserable rates. “If the market rate hits Rs 20 per kilo, we barely get Rs 8-9,” he said highlighting how margins have shrunk drastically. Retail prices can climb to Rs 20-25 per kilo or higher, but farmers see little uplift, most gains swallowed by middlemen. Reports from the ground confirm farmers are receiving as low as Rs 6-7 per kilo from traders, far below production costs and any notion of fair return.
Below Rs 10 per kilo means outright loss, the farmer stressed, calling for a minimum of Rs 12-15 to survive. “This is our only livelihood,” he said, noting how many have shifted from trading to farming only to face uncertain, meager earnings. Corruption runs deep, with prices “controlled from the top” in an unbreakable syndicate that meetings and discussions fail to dismantle.
The protesters demand an organized marketplace in Sadiya and cold storage facilities to end distress sales. Authorities held talks and promised to escalate issues, leading to the blockade’s eventual lift but farmers warn of escalated action if concrete change doesn’t follow.
It’s time to break the syndicate strangling these heroes of the soil. Sadiya’s potato farmers deserve fair prices, direct markets, and the dignity of profiting from their labor. Their protest is a wake-up call: Support local growers, or risk losing the very produce that feeds Assam.
