Rs 50 hike in paddy MSP a ‘cruel joke’

Friday, 27/06/2014

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140627/punjab.htm#7

Chandigarh : Making a mockery of its election slogan "acchhe din aane wale hain", the Modi-led NDA government has sent a strong signal that farmers were not on its priority list by increasing only Rs 50 on the MSP of paddy, said a cross-section of agriculture scientists and experts.

Even the state BJP and the SAD agreed that the increase was even lesser than the national inflation rate of 6 per cent which worked out to Rs 78.

The price of Rs 1,360 per quintal is far below the price of Rs 1,800 per quintal recommended by the state Agriculture Department, which was worked out taking into account prices of farm inputs such as diesel, pesticides, farm machinery, implements, fertilisers and seeds. Even the price of grade 'A' variety has only been raised by Rs 55 to Rs 1,400 per quintal.
                                                                                    
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said: "There had been a massive hike in the cost of farm produce during the UPA regime. Our party has always recommended the Swaminathan formula which underlined 50 per cent profit over the total cost of production incurred by the farmer for any crop".

State BJP president Kamal Sharma said: "Our government knows that there has been a massive increase in the cost of farm inputs. Corrections will be made in a gradual manner."

Partap Singh Bajwa, PPCC president, said: "The negligible Rs 50 hike in the MSP is yet another indication that worst is in the store for the people under the NDA government."

Prof Sukhpal Singh, Head, Economics Department, Punjab Agricultural University, said: "Farmers deserved higher prices because of high burden of increasing irrigation costs as underground water level is falling at a higher rate".

Manpreet Singh Badal, PPP president, described the hike in the paddy MSP as meagre. He said the ruling BJP at the Centre had 'disregarded" the Akali Dal by ignoring it on such a crucial issue. He pointed out that Badal had always been critical of the minimal hike in the prices of various crops by the UPA government and now the Modi government had done the same.

Balbir Rajewal, president, Bharti Kisan Union(BKU), said: “The move means that farmers are in for testing times under the NDA Government. The diesel prices went up by more than Rs 6 in one year. Even the traders have been given the benefit of Rs 2 per kg increase in sugar prices, but farmers have not been paid the price of their sugarcane yet.”

Prof SS Johl, an agricultural expert, however, said the hike of Rs 50 was justified in case it was recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP).