FM dismisses claims that Minimum Support Price will be scrapped, says Farm Bills were overdue

CHENNAI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Centre had no intention of scrapping the provision of minimum support price for farm produce. Addressing a news conference in Chennai on Tuesday, she said the three farm legislations recently passed by Parliament were "overdue reforms". They will help farmers set prices for their produce and sell them to "whoever they wished".

She said the new agricultural laws lifted restrictions on selling produce. She said that she was surprised that those who had initially supported the laws were opposing it now.

"Enough consultation has happened with states. Many farmer organisations have spoken to the agriculture minister," she said. MSP is an integral part of the process of determining prices. The focus of MSP had been wheat and paddy rather than the 20-23 on the list. "Many farmers who grew coarse grain, oilseeds and pulses moved to paddy and wheat cultivation because MSP was annually increased only for the two," she said. Only when BJP assumed power was MSP extended to other crops. Though approximately 24 lakh tonnes of pulses were needed, only 16 lakh tonnes were produced and rest has to be imported, she said and emphasised on the need to diversify cultivation.