Karnataka : Farmers urge government to start paddy procurement at Minimum Support Price
Farmers in Mysuru staged a protest demanding immediate paddy procurement at MSP, alleging centres exist only on paper. They said falling prices and high cultivation costs make the current ₹2,369/quintal MSP inadequate, seeking ₹3,000. They also accused private mills of not paying FRP for sugarcane. Authorities promised procurement from December 11
Scores of farmers staged a demonstration urging the authorities to commence paddy procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) without delay, in Mysuru on December 9.
The demonstration was led by Kurubur Shanthakumar, president of Federation of Farmers Association and State Sugarcane Cultivators Association.
The farmers alleged that though the authorities claim to have opened paddy procurement centres, these are only on paper and that the process of registering farmers’ names is still ongoing. The actual process of paddy procurement is yet to commence and this is causing financial distress to the farming community as paddy prices have begun to fall, said Mr. Shanthakumar.
He said the cultivation cost of paddy had increased but the MSP fixed by the Union government does not factor this into account. ‘’The MSP for paddy is ₹2,369 per quintal and is way below the cultivation cost. Such pricing policies push farmers into distress,’’ he said, demanding that the MSP for paddy be increased to ₹3,000 per quintal.
The farmers also alleged that private sugar factories were not procuring sugarcane at the Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) fixed by the government and hence want the authorities to crack down on such practices. The agitating farmers also sought a share in the profits accrued by the private factory from sale of by-products of sugarcane.
Deputy Commissioner G. Lakshmikanth Reddy, who received the memorandum from the farmers, assured that paddy and ragi procurement centres would start functioning from December 11. He also promised to hold a meeting on December 29 with the sugar factory management and farmer leaders regarding pending sugarcane dues and other issues.
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Source : The Hindu
