Committee on MSP sets up 4 sub-groups to discuss key issues
New Delhi: The committee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) formed four sub-groups on mandated topics, including making "MSP more effective and transparent" in its first meeting on Monday but Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) remained absent.
The committee, headed by former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agrawal, discussed ways to "promote zero budget based farming", to "change" crop patterns keeping in mind the changing needs of the country, and to make MSP more "effective and transparent".
The panel has 26 members, including the chairman, while three membership slots are kept aside for representatives of SKM.
Talking to Millennium Post, Gunwant Patil, a farmer leader associated with Maharashtra-based Shetkari Sanghatna and a member of the panel, said: "A major portion of the discussion was around the effectiveness of the existing MSP system and its impact on the farmers. Besides, issues around farm loan waiver and need for reforms in the agriculture sectors were extensively discussed in the meeting."
As per sources, the committee would also take a final call on setting up of sub-panels for dealing with different ranges of issues as per the mandate of the committee.
"Most of the members of the panel discussed the larger implication of the existing MSP regime to figure out issues that pose challenges in ensuring economically viable remuneration to farmers in terms of their cost of production," said another member
of the panel, who wished not to be named. The member also said that the panel is likely to meet in Hyderabad soon.
Currently, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) in association with state agencies procure rice and wheat mainly in Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on MSP from farmers. The procured grain is used for the implementation of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes besides keeping a buffer stock.
Farmer's cooperative NAFED procures pulses to maintain a buffer stock and Cotton Corporation of India purchases cotton from farmers when there is a price crash. Also, oilseeds and copra are procured by NAFED when market prices fall below MSP.
Other key members of the committee include Ramesh Chand, member, Niti Aayog, CSC Shekhar, agri-economist from Indian Institute of Economic Development, Sukhpal Singh from IIM-Ahmedabad. Senior members of agricultural universities, five Central government secretaries, and chief secretaries of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, and Odisha are also part of the MSP panel.
