Modi government committed to double farmers' income: BJP President JP Nadda

After Union Cabinet approved the decision of hiking the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all mandated Kharif crops for marketing season 2021-22, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President, JP Nadda on Wednesday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The decision was taken in Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) meeting which was chaired by PM Modi. With an aim to encourage farmers, the Central Government has decided to increase the profit to 50% more than the production costs. 

 Nadda in his tweet highlighted that this 'government is determined to double the income of the farmer brothers'. 

The MSP has been increased for various Kharif crops including sesame (Rs. 452 per quintal) followed by tur and urad (Rs. 300 per quintal each). Moreover, the price for groundnut and niger seed has been increased by Rs 275 per quintal and Rs 235 per quintal respectively. The expected returns to farmers over their cost of production are estimated to be highest in the case of Bajra (85%) followed by urad (65%), and tur (62%). 

The official press release issued by the Centre mentioned that efforts to encourage farmers for best technologies and farm practices are under process for the last few years. 

"Concerted efforts were made over the last few years to realign the MSPs in favour of oilseeds, pulses and coarse cereals to encourage farmers shift to larger area under these crops and adopt best technologies and farm practices, to correct demand - supply imbalance," added the Government release while announcing the decision.

Meanwhile, Union Minister V Muraleedharan, in a tweet hailed the Centre for the 'encouraging' decision. 

Rakesh Taikat meets Mamata Banerjee

Interestingly, the decision from the union government to hike the MSP came on the same day when farmers' protest leader Rakesh Tikait met with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee amid a demonstration against three new farm bills. In the meeting, Taikat sought CM Banerjee's support for the protest and for a Minimum Support Price for farm produce. Meanwhile, farmers' protest has been going on for a long time to legalise MSP for all crops and scrap the three new farm laws.