The State’s hope for a hike in paddy minimum support price (MSP) was dashed on Tuesday as the Union Government told Parliament that it is already providing adequate margins to farmers and there is no proposal of increasing the MSP for the current year.
According to reports, Union Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Sekhawat said the Centre has fixed the MSP at Rs1,550 for 2017-18 which includes a profit margin of Rs433 per quintal over all-India weighted average cost of production of Rs1,117 per quintal as estimated by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).
He too stated that there is no proposal to change the formula for determining MSPs at present.
Meanwhile, State Agriculture and Farmers Empowerment Minister termed the Union Minister’s reply as anti-farmer. “About Rs2,200 is being spent for production of a quintal of paddy in our State. They are suffering Rs500 while they are selling paddy at Rs MSP of Rs1,550 as fixed by the Centre. It is not understood how the Union Government says that they earn profit of Rs433. It is an anti-farmer decision,” he said.
Senior Congress leader and leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Narsingha Mishra also criticised the Centre saying that both the BJP and the Union Government have betrayed the farming community of Odisha.
On the other hand, BJP countered the arguments with party vice-president Samir Mohanty saying that the comments of the Union Minister was for the entire country. “It is not only Odisha but the rates were fixed for the entire country. So why is the ruling BJD trying to pass the buck on the Cetnre,” he wanted to know.
It may be noted that the State Assembly has formed a House Committee to visit the President for submission of a demand for increasing paddy MSP to Rs2,930 per quintal.