Farmers demand hike in MSP for paddy

With the paddy procurement season nearing, the farmers’ organisations have stepped up demand for increase in its minimum support price (MSP) even as the state government has announced loss of Kharif crop in 90 blocks in 15 out of 30 districts due to drought situation.

Rushikulya Rayat Mahasabha (RRM), a Ganjam based farmers’ organization, has urged the government to increase the minimum support price (MSP) of the paddy to Rs 1500 per quintal this time.

The MSP for paddy was Rs 980 per quintal for common variety and Rs 1030 for fine quality during the last year. However, the farmers complain that it was not remunerative as the input costs have gone up. “This necessitates increase in the MSP for paddy”, said Simanchal Nayak of RRM.

The farmers’ organisation has dispatched a memorandum to the chief minister, Naveen Patnaik urging him to provide remunerative price to the farmers for their products. The cost of agricultural inputs has increased by 30 to 35 percent, but the hike in MSP is not proportionate, he said.

The state government has set a target of procuring 3.2 million tonnes of rice this year despite the loss of Kharif crop in 10,440 villages of 90 blocks in 15 districts due bad weather. The crop loss in the drought-hit areas would be over 50 percent, the official sources said.

The farmers’ organizations, however, ridiculed the target of the government. “The state has suffered crop loss due to deficit rainfall. We doubt whether the government will achieve its procurement target”, said another farmer leader.

Meanwhile, the state government has sought Rs 963-crore from the Centre as drought assistance. Besides, the state has also demanded additional Rs 553-crore from the Centre in arrears for the 2008 floods. “We have demanded a total Rs 1,516 crore”, said state’s revenue minister, SN Patro.

Apart from demanding remunerative prices for the farmers for their produce, the Krushak Morcha, another farmers’ organization, has sought amendment in the 116-year-old Land Acquisition Act to protect the agricultural land.

“The agriculture land has been shrinking in the state because of its diversion for other purposes including setting up of the industries’ said Ram Prasad Patra, president of the Krushak Sabha, Ganjam district unit. He said, the Act was needed to be changed to protect the agriculture land from being used for other purposes.