MSP hike too little, too late: Farm leaders

The hike in MSP introduced by Centre on kharif season crops Wednesday is simply too little and too late, farmer union leaders mentioned.
The authorities raised the minimal help value of paddy marginally by Rs 72 per quintal to Rs 1,940 for the 2021-22 crop yr, whereas the charges of pulses, oilseeds and cereals have been hiked considerably.
Among the industrial crops, the MSP of cotton was elevated by Rs 211 per quintal to Rs 5,726 for the medium-staple selection and by Rs 200 per quintal to Rs 6,025 for the long-staple selection for the 2021-22 crop yr (July-June).
Paddy is the primary kharif crop, the sowing of which has begun with the onset of the Southwest monsoon.
While Prime Minister Narenda Modi tweeted that the hike MSP will enhance farmers’ revenue and enhance their residing requirements, farm union leaders mentioned the rise in charges was not in response to suggestions by MS Swaminathan Commission (2006) and Ramesh Chand Committee (2015).
“While MSP for paddy has been increased by 3.8 per cent, that of maize and cotton, which are the alternative crops for paddy in the light of much-needed diversification in Punjab and Haryana, have been hiked by by 1.1 per cent and 3.8 per cent (medium staple and 3.4% for long staple cotton), respectively. Also, announcing the MSP now when sowing of cotton is over in Punjab and Haryana, is of no relevance. Had it been announced before beginning of the cotton sowing in the April, more farmers could have opted for cotton crop,” mentioned Jagmohan Singh, common secretary BKU (Dakuanda).
He mentioned that the charges introduced by Centre will solely be related if authorities procures all crops on the introduced MSP and the non-public gamers provide at par or increased charges.
Jugraj Sigh, a maize farmer from Jalandhar, mentioned, “Farmers got Rs 900 to Rs 1100 per quital for maize against the MSP of Rs 1,850 announced by the government last year. Now, the MSP for maize has been hiked by a mere Rs 20 per quintal. Why would farmers opt for the crop, which has no assured market and also has low MSP”.
“We are concerned about the depleting ground water of Punjab and want to diversify the paddy area to other crops but for that assured market is needed which the government is ignoring,” mentioned Jagmohan Singh.
BKU Ugrahan General Secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan mentioned that the hike in MSP is nothing in comparison with the rise within the costs of diesel, fertilizers, and insecticide within the pasty one yr. He mentioned that final yr when the cotton costs crashed to a lot beneath the MSP, the Cotton Corporation of India entered the market and after a while, the non-public gamers began providing Rs 50 to 100 per quintal above the MSP.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal too mentioned the rise within the MSP introduced by the Centre for paddy is just not solely inadequate but additionally a “retrograde step” that may take agriculture backwards as a substitute of doubling farm revenue by 2022. He mentioned the “marginal increase” is just not ample to cowl the rise in the price of agricultural inputs like diesel and fertilisers. “The one and a half times income formula should be applied on the actual cost of production, including rent and interest foregone by farmers on land and machinery,” he mentioned.
“The cavalier manner in which the MSP has been calculated also exposes the apathetic attitude of the government towards farmers. The MSP should be increased keeping in view the actual cost of production,” Badal added.