Farmers startled at minuscule MSP hike on wheat

CHANDIGARH: With tilling and sowing preparation on for sowing wheat across north-India, an increase of Rs 20 per quintal in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) is not likely to cheer farmers who have been expecting Rs 200-300 per quintal raise. In states of Punjab and Haryana which are food bowl of India area under wheat is likely to remain same.

The increase in MSP of Wheat announced by the Centre would raise wheat prices to Rs 1,100 from last year���s Rs 1,080 per quintal. In Punjab area under wheat is likely to remain similar to previous year at 35.26 lakh hectare, even as the Haryana government expects more than 3,000 hectare to come under wheat during current Rabi season to touch 24.65 lakh hectare.

Most of the farmers spoken to were taken aback at the inadequate increase in MSP of wheat. However they shared that they have no other option but to go for wheat sowing. ���It will give me an assured production and market and I don���t have to worry about any risk,��� said Gurminder Singh a farmer in Sialbagh majri village of Mohali district who has already sown wheat on 10 acre land.

Farmers across the region had already gone in sowing of the four month crop- gram and mustard. Even as late varieties of paddy and basmati are being harvested across north India farmers have started preparing their land by ox- plough and tractors. In village Bhootan near Banga township in Punjab, the village sarpanch, Surjit Singh informed that he has got 5 more acres under wheat acreage this year. ���I will sow PAU 17 and PAU 550 varieties on over 25 acre. The fodder prices have increased exponentially which I intend to overcome by using the wheat stubble and straw,��� he said.

Bhartiya Kisan union-Punjab president Ajmer Singh Lakhowal strongly criticised the government for declaring increase of only Rs 20 in the rate of wheat. He further said that if the Government makes it a principle to give remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce then there will be no scarcity of agricultural produce.

Further the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today rejected the hike of Rs 20 per quintal and described it as
���woefully inadequate and unjustified���. ���It is a cruel joke with the beleaguered farmers who were already in distress due to low returns on their produce despite exorbitant cost of agricultural inputs incurred by them on diesel, fertilizers, pesticides etc,���he said.

The Chief Minister had earlier personally met the Prime Minister and Union Agricultural Minister and demanded MSP of Wheat at least Rs 1,400 per quintal.