Friday, June 11, 2010

4 million Maharashtra Cotton Farmers urged Indian Prime Minister to hike MSP of cotton

4 million Maharashtra Cotton Farmers urged Indian Prime Minister to hike MSP of cotton

Nagpur- Dated-11th June 2010,


A decision for keeping MSP of cotton for kharif crops for 2010-11 unchanged for the successive last two years by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has disappointed more than 4 million cotton farmers of Maharashtra.since 2008-9 MSP of cotton has not been changed where as cost of production ,crop failure due to drought being has aggravated agrarian crisis in cotton cultivation belt of India. in order to give relief to debt trapped and credit starved 4 million cotton farmers of maharshtra , Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS) farmers activist group has urged Indian Primee Minister Dr.Manmohan singh to hike minimum support price (MSP) Bt.cotton to Rs.4000 per quintal from Rs.3000/- per quintal .

VJAS recalled last year the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) which were based on the following factors that include Cost of production, Changes in input prices ,Input-output price parity,Trends in market prices, Demand and supply situation ,International price situation, prices paid and prices received by the farmers and implications for national –international subsidy suggested hike in cotton MSP for 2009-10 ,CACP recommendations were ignored by union Govt. and it was promised to consider it for kharif 2010-11 but this year too MSP of cotton is unchanged which is matter of surprise to 4 million cotton growers of Maharashtra.

“This is betrayal with cotton farmers of vidarbha which is main cash crop of region ,cotton farmer were expecting minimum Rs.3500 per quintal MSP but they were disappointed there is no relief to paddy growers of eastern vidarbha as Rs.50 is hike in paddy MSP unjustified .where as Govt. claiming big rise in pluses MSP is not inline with CACP calculations and will not encourage the farmers opting pluses cultivation in place of cash crops where such non realistic and unjustified MSPs will have greater impact on food crop promotion programme of Indian Govt.” Kishor Tiwari Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti informed in press note today.

The increase was given for the widely consumed arhar dal (tur), the MSP for which has been increased to Rs 3,000 a quintal from Rs 2,300 last year but market price for last whole year on more than RS.3800/- where as the MSP for moong, another popular variety, has been increased to Rs 3,170 per quintal from Rs 2,760. Support price for urad has been increased to 2,900 a quintal from Rs 2,520 last year.

“This is peanut and need urgent revision for encouraging the dry land farmers to go for cultivation of pulses. Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has ignored this which is unfortunate decision hence we want the review ” Tiwari added.

UPA Govt. before election has given promise that dying farmers will get reasonable MSP and UPA Govt. more sensitive to the hardships of dying farmers but after the election year, Central Govt. has changed it’s outlook toward the cash crop growing farmers who are playing key role in increasing so called agriculture growth ,are being completely ignored and specially Cotton and Soyabean farmers of vidarbha who are in focus due to on going farm suicides and drought and the decision to keep MSP of cotton and soybean unchanged is unfortunate, Tiwari said.

“UPA Govt. is urged to review MSP of Cotton and Soybean to Rs.4000 from Rs.3000 and Rs.2000 from Rs.1560 respectively in order to save dying 4 million farmers” Tiwari urged indian prime minister in later faxed today.

==========================================================================================

1 comment:

samrudha said...

IT is a matter of concern.. how can things be changed?