As farmers from Punjab and Haryana set out on their scheduled Delhi march today, the demand for guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) has emerged as the primary sticking point between the farming community and the government.
While farmer leaders see the demand for enacting an MSP law as a relatively minor request to ensure that all produce is procured at the Swaminathan formula of C2+50 per cent, the government sees it as a major challenge, with Considerable financial allocation, infrastructure is required. Policy and other guarantees to protect the interests of consumers.
The government currently fixes MSP for 22 crops with corresponding annual adjustments for eight Rabi crops and 14 Kharif season crops. However, farmers argue that the absence of legislation leaves them vulnerable to selling their produce at lower prices to private traders, raising questions over the effectiveness of the government's MSP policy.
Agriculture and food policy expert Devinder Sharma emphasizes that guaranteed MSP is a solution to address the multi-faceted challenges faced by farmers. They argue that the implementation of such a guarantee, which requires an annual allocation of about Rs 2 lakh crore (additional), is crucial for the welfare of the 50 per cent of the country's population dependent on agriculture.
“Farmers are not demanding the government to purchase all crops at MSP, they just want a law to ensure that the produce is not purchased below the MSP set by the government, which is the only reason for the agricultural crisis in the country. " He added.
Arjun Munda stressed the need for wide consultation with stakeholders and states, stressing the need for a structured discussion to find solutions.
“We need to see what kind of law we have to bring and what are the advantages and disadvantages of such a law,” he said while urging the protesting farmer groups to have a structured discussion with the government on the issue. Allow elements to take over their opposition for political gain.
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