Sikkim govt approves MSP for organic horticultural commodities

Sikkim government has approved Minimum Support Price (MSP) for various organic horticultural commodities, mostly vegetables, being produced in the state in order to protect the interests of the farming community.

"The state government intends to regulate the prices of various horticultural commodities in order to protect the farming community by conferring benefits and improved returns to the producers and to get right prices of various commodities," a notification issued by the Horticultural and Cash Crops Development Department said.

The notification by the director-cum-secretary of the department, Khorlo Bhutia was issued on May 22 last, but was released to media today.

The Sikkimese farmers will get differential MSP for the organic horticultural commodities with the the prices being relatively higher from April to September in comparison to that of October to March, the notification said.

Tomato, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, radish, broccoli and leafy vegetables are among more than a dozen organic horticultural commodities for which the state government has notified MSP in order to benefit the farmers.

Sikkim government had banned sale of 27 non-organic food products in the state from April 1, 2018.