Farmers not getting minimum support price for their crops: Radhamohan Singh

The Agriculture Minister said consultations were on with states and the NITI Aayog to find out how a better system can be established

Farmers in the country are not getting the minimum support price (MSP) for their crops and efforts were being made so that they get the right remuneration, Agriculture minister Radhamohan Singh said on Friday.

During the Question Hour in Rajya Sabha, Singh said that from his experience he felt that the farmers often did not get the price settled as the MSP.

"My experience is largely of (the area) between Delhi to Kolkata. And in the 100 km from these areas, the MSP of paddy is not reaching the farmers," Singh said, adding that the process of procurement in states was being monitored.

"There is a scheme. ... apart from wheat and paddy, there are items for which MSP is announced. There is a price support scheme, that whenever the price comes beneath the MSP, the government should buy. When a proposal comes from a state, the Centre gives the money for the purchase. I would like to inform that for over 8 lakh metric tonnes had been procured for pulses, cotton etc," the minister said.

He said consultations were on with states and the NITI Aayog to find out how a better system can be established.

He was responding to several members who had raised questions about the steps being taken to increase the income of the farmers.

In response to another question, he said that the export of gherkins during the year 2017-18 has shown a growth of 27 per cent over the exports during 2017-18.

"European countries had earlier barred mangoes from India. He said the government took appropriate steps and the export has commenced again," Singh said.