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The national conference of the All India Kisan Sabha has demanded to enact a law to guarantee Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for farmer’s produce. It also demanded to implement Swaminathan Commission recommendations to ensure MSP, which is 50 per cent more than complete cost of production.
The MSP for farm products was a key demand of the farmers’ struggle in Delhi. Farmers suspended the struggle when the Government agreed to repeal the three farm laws and to take steps to enact laws for providing MSP. But even after one year, the Govt has done nothing to guarantee MSP,” said Hannan Mullah, general secretary, AIKS.
In a resolution passed at the conference held in Thrissur, AIKS noted that uncertainty about prices was not only leading to a loss for farmers but also making it difficult for them to make appropriate decisions about the choice of crops and farm investments. It affects agricultural growth.
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The Congress' unit for farmers also accused the BJP-led central government of not cooperating with farmers“Data show that about 91 per cent of rice farmers and 83 per cent wheat farmers are selling their products at prices lesser than the MSP. A vast majority of farmers are forced to sell products lesser than the cost of production. This is because procurement facilities are not available. Neo-liberal reforms over the last three decades have resulted in the weakening of public support for agriculture,” said the resolution.
The resolution also asked the Govt to strengthen the system of public support to agriculture, agri-inputs and services to bring down the cost of cultivation. It demanded the Govt to create facilities for the procurement, storage, and distribution of crops. It asked the Govt to support farmers’ cooperatives to undertake procurement, warehousing, primary processing, value addition, and distribution of food at MSP.
In all, 765 delegates from across the country are participating in the national conference.
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