All paddy varieties must be under MSP mechanism: Birender

Union Minister Birender Singh on Tuesday said all paddy <g data-gr-id="33">varities</g> should be brought under the Minimum Support Price mechanism to support farmers as there is a question mark over the profitability of agriculture.

"I and Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal talked to Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and have even written letter to the Prime Minister about problems faced by Basmati growers, who are not getting remunerative price for their produce.

I believe that all paddy varieties should come under MSP and like we have <g data-gr-id="29">Cotton</g> Corporation of India for cotton growers, a similar body should be set up to help Basmati farmers," the Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj said addressing a meet-the-press programme here.

Continuing further, he said, "Today, there is a question mark on profitability of agriculture".

When asked why country's agriculture was facing <g data-gr-id="30">crisis</g>, giving a detailed reply, he said, out of 336 million hectares of land in the country, just 46 <g data-gr-id="27">per cent</g> is under agriculture.

He said efforts should be made to bring 12.5 million of land, which is called <g data-gr-id="23">waste land</g>, under cultivation. "Then for next 25-30 years, there would be no crisis of food," he said.

Further commenting on the farmers' plight, he said, "I often say that in this world there are many occupations including political danda (occupation) in which income gets multiplied, exception being of farming occupation.

Take for instance counterpart of a farmer who is in politics, or a bureaucrat, or in business, after 4-5 years comparatively all these people are <g data-gr-id="31"><g data-gr-id="36">way way</g></g> ahead while the farmer makes little progress." 

Birender Singh said that there <g data-gr-id="34">are</g> 70-75 <g data-gr-id="32">per cent</g> of farmers who produce only for their own consumption, they don't need MSP.

"So, it (agrarian crisis) requires <g data-gr-id="26">lot</g> of thinking, lot of re-visiting," he said.