Bring wheat MSP on a par with production cost, Centre urged

Sanjay Bumbroo

Tribune News Service

Nabha, February 2

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU)-Rajewal here today urged the Central Government to bring the minimum support price (MSP) of the wheat on a par with the cost of production.

Onkar Singh Agole, general secretary, BKU, said as per estimates of agriculture universities in the country, the cost of producing one quintal of wheat comes to Rs 2,125.

He said in 2017, the Centre had announced Rs 1,625 as MSP for wheat which was Rs 500 less then the production cost of one quintal.

Agole said Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was misleading the nation by stating that 50 per cent increase in the MSP had been announced by the Central Government in the past months.

He said the Centre had only given assurance and done nothing to address the grievances of farmers during the past three years.

Commenting on the Budget allocations to the farm sector, Agole said Jaitley had not discussed about farm loans for the agriculture sector, besides nothing has been said about waiving of loans of farmers to bring them out of the financial mess.

He said the hike announced in the Budget for the farm sector would only benefit the cold storage, food processing industries and companies producing agriculture machinery.

The BKU leader said in 1990-91, 82 per cent of the farm budget was for providing fertilisers and pesticides on subsidised rates to the farmers which had now been brought down to 41 per cent.

He said if steps were not taken immediately, farmers would have to look for some other options to earn their livelihood, which would also cause shortage of food in the country.