Left peasant groups want minimum support prices hiked

Left affiliated peasants organisations here Tuesday demanded increasing paddy and jute minimum support prices in view of rising cost of agriculture and inadequate minimum support price for paddy and jute.

"The minimum support price (MSP) for paddy and jute is very low. With the ever-rising price of fertilisers and fuel, farmers are being ruined due to the increased cost of farming," All Indian Krishak Sabha state secretary Madan Ghosh said here.

"As if the fertiliser prices were not enough, the cost of natural gas will also be increased in the coming months, which will highly inflate farming cost. Devastated farmers are taking their lives," said Ghosh.

Ghosh said several peasants organisations affiliated to the Left Front will launch a movement across the nation demanding increase in MSPs.

"In the past two years of Trinamool Congress rule in the state, 89 farmers have committed suicide. But the government, instead of being concerned about the farmers' plight, has been denying the suicides," added Ghosh.