Amritsar: Farmers unhappy with Centre’s increased MSP

Amritsar, October 22

Even as the Central Government has increased the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat by Rs 150 per quintal, farmers are unhappy and demanded that the government should fix the price according to the Swaminathan Commission report, which recommends 50 per cent profit over the input cost.

With the hike in the MSP, the price of wheat has increased from Rs 2,125 per quintal to Rs 2,275 per quintal. However, decreasing yield of the wheat crop over the past many years is a big problem for the farmers who say that in spite of a higher MSP, their actual income is decreasing as the input costs are increasing and the yield is going down.

Sarbarinder Singh, a farmer, said, “The input cost alone has increased by nearly Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 as there is a ban on the burning of crop residue and the farmers have to burn extra diesel to prepare fields.” Singh said the farmers are also paying Rs 1,000 per acre to baler machine operators for making bales of the crop residue.

Inderbir Singh, another farmer, said, “No doubt, the increase in MSP this year has been better than that given in the last few years. But considering the cost of diesel, fertilisers and chemicals, which are also increasing, the increase in MSP is not that much.” Inderbir said if farmers calculate the cost of manual labour employed by them and their families along with the rent of the land, agriculture is a loss-making venture.

The farmers say that the government should fix the MSP on the basis of actual cost of production, which includes labour and land rent. They say the government must ensure that they get MSP on all crops for which this has been announced.