Committee on MSP held 45 meetings so far, says agriculture minister

The committee on Minimum Support Price (MSP), headed by former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agrawal, has held 45 meetings so far, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Friday in Rajya Sabha.

The committee was established in July 2022, eight months after the government promised to set up such a panel while withdrawing the three contentious farm laws. 

 

"Overall, 45 meetings, including 39 sub-committee/ sub-group meetings have been held till date," Chouhan said in his written reply to the Upper House.

The minister asserted that the government is committed that the full benefits of MSP reach the farmers of the country.

The minister explained that the committee was constituted to give suggestions on making the MSP system more effective and transparent. 

 

Additionally, the committee was asked to examine the feasibility of giving greater autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and ways to make it more scientific.

"With a view to ensuring higher prices, the mandate has also been given to give suggestions for strengthening the agricultural marketing system as per the changing needs of the country," he said. 

 

The committee is also working on the topics of natural farming and crop diversification. Since its inception, the committee has been holding regular meetings to deliberate on these key issues and develop actionable recommendations.

The Centre fixes MSP for 22 mandated agricultural crops for the country as a whole on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering the views of state governments.