Chandigarh, Oct 1 (IANS) The decision of the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) not to recommend any increase in the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat has been termed as “anti-farmer” by the Kisan Morcha of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
BJP’s Kisan Morcha national president O.P. Dhankar told reporters here Monday that the CACP claimed input cost of wheat to be Rs.1,066 per quintal, whereas data collected by the Kisan Morcha shows average input cost per quintal to be Rs.1,400 per quintal.
He said that the Kisan Morcha calculations included Rs.50 as increased cost of DAP (Diammonium phosphate, fertilizer) and Rs.28 for diesel, after the price hike.
Dhankar, who was accompanied by the Kisan Morcha’s national media in-charge Vineet Joshi, demanded the implementation of the Swaminathan formula, according to which the MSP of wheat should be Rs.2,100 per quintal.
“Usually, Rs.1,350 is spent as input cost on a quintal of paddy. Due to weak monsoon this year, farmers have spent Rs.1,500 per quintal. But turning a Nelson’s eye to all this, the government has announced MSP of paddy at Rs.1,250. The government should give a bonus, instead, of Rs.250 per quintal to farmers on paddy. A bonus should be offered on other crops as well,” Dhankar said.
He called for an urgent need to frame price policy for crops so that farmers’ minimum income could be fixed.
Dhankar pointed out that input costs of various crops had increased by 15 to 20 percent, making agriculture costly.
“Presently, the prices of rabi crops are high, but by the time it comes to the market, prices suddenly tumble down and MSP is declared as per the tumbled prices, which leads to loss to farmers,” he said.
