Farmers in some states not getting MSP: Union minister

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, February 9

Farmers in many states, including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, were not getting minimum support price (MSP) for their produce, said Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh here today.

He was here to inaugurate an indoor sports complex, boys’ hostel and a business planning development unit at the NDRI. He also inaugurated the project to conserve Gir cattle breed.

“We are mounting pressure on these states to provide MSP to farmers and ensure procurement of their complete stock,” he said.

Lowering input costs and making MSP remunerative was the mission of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for which he had taken several initiatives, including soil health cards, better irrigation coverage, neem coated urea, bringing more area under organic farming etc., he said.

He said the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana would offer insurance cover to farmers at low premium rates.

Addressing scientists and students of the NDRI, he said the ICAR would set up two new institutions, including the Institute for Organic Agriculture and Institute for Integrated Farming. He also stressed on organic farming using bio-fertilisers so as to improve soil health.

On e-marketing, he said, “We are developing 585 markets as national agriculture markets (NAMs) so as to provide real-time prices at the national-level. Around 200 of these will be in place by September 2016 and the rest by March 2018.”

The minister was accompanied by Dr H Rahman, Deputy Director General (Animal Science) and Dr AK Srivastava, Director, NDRI.