MSP for vegetables, milk products not possible, says central minister

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat comment comes in the backdrop of the nation-wide protest and Bharat Bandh by farmer organisations.

The union government has denied possibility of announcing the minimum support price (MSP) for vegetables and milk products.

The Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, a union of 110 farmer organisations, had called a nation-wide bandh on Sunday to protest against the “anti-farmer policies” of the central government. (HT File Photo/Representative image)

“It is not possible to fix MSP for vegetables and milk products due to geographical and production differences across the country,” said Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the union minister of state for agriculture and farmers welfare. He was in Bikaner on Sunday to attend a sports competition organised by Seema Jan Kalyan Samiti in Khajuwala.

His comment comes in the backdrop of the nation-wide protest and Bharat Bandh by farmer organisations.

Shekhawat said the NDA government has implemented almost 99.9% recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission to help farmers. Loan waiver is not an ideal solution to farmers’ problems, he added.

Speaking about the farmers’ protest across the country, he said this is totally a “politically motivated” agitation to achieve political interests and has no concern with the problems or welfare of farmers.

The Rashtriya Kisan Mahasangh, a union of 110 farmer organisations, had called a nation-wide bandh on Sunday to protest against the “anti-farmer policies” of the central government. As a mark of protest, the farmers also stopped the supply of farm products such as vegetables, grains and milk to cities across the country for 10 days since June 1.