MSP will ensure fair price for farmer's produce: PM Modi

Acknowledging the importance of farmers for the economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the new Minimum Support Price (MSP) announced in the Union Budget 2018, will ensure farmers get a fair price for their produce.

Interacting with the nation through the 42nd episode of the monthly radio programme 'Mann ki Baat', the Prime Minister said adequate technical support is being provided to the farmers which would boost their output.

"To ensure adequate return to farmers, a major decision was made in this year's budget. It was decided to give 1.5 the input costs as MSP for the scheduled crop. Minimum Support Price will ensure farmers get a fair price for their produce," Prime Minister Modi said.

He further said with the help of Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) and electronic National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform, the farmers do not have to go far enough to sell their products.

"Farmers do not have to go far enough to sell their products - this will be integrated with Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) and e-NAM platform, upgrading the country's 22,000 rural haat with the required infrastructure," the Prime Minister said.

He also recalled a quote of Mahatma Gandhi for the farmers and said the latter's attachment to the soil was known to all.

The prime minister also recalled Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ram Manohar Lohiya's efforts to improve the situation of the farmers of the country.

"I feel that each farmer should get connected to Kisan Channel of Doordarshan, view it and adopt those practices in his or her own farm," he suggested.

He even congratulated the farmers of Meghalaya for achieving record production in the year 2015-16.