Shivraj Chouhan assures MSP for all farm produce amid farmers' Delhi march
Shivraj Singh Chouhan slammed the Opposition, saying when they were in power, they rejected the MS Swaminathan Commission's recommendation.
Amid farmers' protests and their large-scale mobilisation to the national capital, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday told the Rajya Sabha that the Narendra Modi government would purchase all farm produce at the minimum support price.
He gave the assurance during Question Hour while responding to supplementary questions on the issue of MSP for farmers.
The statement came on a day when farmers started a foot march to Delhi with a charter of demands, including legal backing for MSP.
“I want to assure the House through you that all produce of farmers will be purchased at minimum support price. This is the Modi government and the guarantee to fulfil Modi's guarantee,” Chouhan told the House.
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Taking a swipe at the Opposition members, the minister said, “When our friends from the other side were in power, they had said on record that they cannot accept the MS Swaminathan Commission recommendations, especially on giving 50 percent more than the cost of produce. I have the record,” he said.
He cited former minister of state for agriculture Kantilal Bhuria, ex-agriculture ministers Sharad Pawar and K V Thomas to back his claim.
After his remarks, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar asked him to place on record the documents to substantiate his claim, which Chouhan agreed to.
“They have never honoured the farmers and never gave a serious consideration to farmers' demands for remunerative prices. I want to assure the house through you that since 2019 Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to calculate the minimum support price by giving 50 per cent profit on cost of production to farmers,” claimed Chouhan.
He also claimed that the Modi government has been providing remunerative prices to farmers, saying that paddy, wheat, jowar, and soyabean have been purchased at 50 percent above the cost of production for the past three years.
He further referred to interventions such as adjustments in export duties and prices whenever commodity rates decline.
With PTI inputs
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