Redgram farmers seek 50% rise in MSP for FY14

Cost of production has gone up well above MSP of Rs 4,300 per quintal due to rise in input costs

Redgram (or Tur) farmers in Karnataka, which have seen a steep rise in the cost of cultivation, have demanded a 50% rise in minimum support price (MSP) for the year 2013-14. The farmers have also seen crop damage due to Helen cyclone in major parts of growing regions in the state.

The prices of Redgram in Gulbarga, the Tur Bowl of India, have crashed to Rs 3,600 per quintal, a decline of 16% over the MSP declared for the year due to the arrival of fresh crop. The Central government has announced a MSP of Rs 4,300 per quintal for 2013-14.

“The cost of cultivation has seen a steep rise due to rise in input costs this year. The prices of fertiliser (DAP) have gone up by 2.5 times to Rs 1,350 per bag as against Rs 530 per bag last year. Besides, the labour shortage has resulted in the rise of daily wages paid to farm labourers,” Basavaraj Ingin, president, Karnataka Pradesh Redgram Growers' Association said.

Gulbarga district in northern Karnataka contributes 15% of national Tur output. This year, more than 800,000 hectares of area was cultivated for Tur and the estimated production was around 560,000 tonnes from Gulbarga district alone.

He said the total cost of cultivation per acre amounts to Rs 12,000-14,000, which means the cost of cultivation per quintal of Tur has touched Rs 4,500 per quintal as against the MSP of Rs 4,300 per quintal, making it uneconomical for the farmer to grow. As a result of the price crash, which is below the MSP as well as cost of cultivation, it would be highly unremunerative to farmers, he said.

“We have requested the Central government through a memorandum to Union Railway minister Mallikarjun Kharge, who hails from the Tur growing region of Gulbarga, to enhance the MSP to Rs 6,450 per quintal based on the recommendations of M S Swaminathan in his report of Second Indian Farmers' Commission,” Ingin said.

The government of India, instead of supporting farmers in the country, has resorted to import of pulses, which are meant "for consumption of pigs".

There has been a widespread damage to the Tur crop in Karnataka due to Helen cyclone effect and the rains thereafter and also the heavy fog for three days subsequently. According to the estimates by the state agriculture department, the crop damage is about 80% in Chincholi taluk and 70% in Chittapur taluk.

“There is a need to conduct a joint survey by the departments of agriculture and revenue and award a compensation of Rs 25,000 per acre wherever the crop is insured,” Ingin said.

The drop in production could be as high as 50% across the state. At the national level the pulses scenario was precarious. As against the country’s requirement of 18 million tonnes the production has been only 14 million tonnes.

“The country can import a maximum of 3 million tonnes of pulses. And this year in particular there is an additional shortage of 2 million tonnes. There will be an overall shortage of 3 m tons” Ingin, who heads the Pulses Division of Confederation of Indian Farmers Associations (CIFA), added.

He also urged the Karnataka government to intervene immediately and start procurement of Tur through the Tur Development Board.

"The Tur Development Board is totally defunct and it is necessary for the government to announce a Rs 100 crore financial assistance for the Board to procure Tur from farmers. We have asked the state government to announce an additional support price of Rs 1,200 over and above the MSP of Rs 4,300 per quintal," Ingin added.