Replace obsolete system for fixing crop prices: Badal

Describing the current system of fixing crop prices as "obsolete", Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said the Centre should set up an expert committee to ensure remunerative prices to farmers and bail them out of the current crisis.
He said the BJP in last Lok Sabha polls had promised to give 50 per cent profit over and above the input cost, as has been suggested by renowned agri-scientist M S Swaminathan, and it should be implemented.
"The existing mechanism wherein the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) of the Government Of India (GoI) fixes the price of crops every year is obsolete and the need of the hour is to do away with it by forming a high-powered committee comprising of agri-experts, officers and other eminent people to bail out the farmer from current agrarian crisis," Badal said during a political conference here to mark the Baisakhi festival.

The committee must also be entrusted with the task of rejuvenating agriculture through extensive research and design activities, he said.
Badal said he will formally take up this issue soon with the Centre so that hard working and resilient farmers of the country could be saved.
Batting for implementation of noted farm scientist M S Swaminathan formula for fixing prices of crops, the Chief Minister said that it is the need of the hour to implement formula given by the world renowned agri-scientist, which stipulates cost plus 50 per cent profit to benefit farmers.

"Since this was an important part of the manifesto of BJP in general polls so the NDA government would implement it soon," Badal said.

He also expressed displeasure over the nominal increase in MSP, fixed by "arm chair agri-experts" while sitting in their "cozy offices" in New Delhi.
"The farmers cannot be saved by giving nominal MSPs to them as recommended by the arm chair agri-experts, while sitting in their cozy offices in New Delhi, but the MSP must be fixed as per Dr M S Swaminathan formula if the country's food security is to be preserved," he said.
Batting for MSP mechanism for the procurement of crops, Badal said that any move of parting away from it could prove detrimental for the country.

Agriculture is the backbone of the nation's economy and any move to abolish the MSP system could break this vital component of Indian economy, he added.