Lok Sabha Question No. 1041 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-13
Subject: Swaminathan Committee Recommendations
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: D. M. Kathir Anand, Anurag Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  1041

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 13 TH  DECEMBER, 2022

## SWAMINATHAN COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS

1041.  SHRI D.M. KATHIR ANAND: SHRI ANURAG SHARMA:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE क ृ षि  एवं  षकसान  कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a)   whether the Government has followed the M.S. Swaminathan Committee recommendations to provide Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers to double their income, if so, the details thereof and the list of products provided MSP;
- (b)   the steps taken by the Government to fix MSP for all essential agricultural products; and
- (c)   whether the Government has any check and monitoring system to ensure that the farmers get right MSP for their produce and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री ( SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a):   One of the recommendations of National Commission of Farmers (NCF), set up under the Chairmanship of Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, was that, Minimum Support Price (MSP)  should  be  at  least  50  percent  more  than  the  weighted  average  cost  of production.

In this regard, the Government in its Union Budget for 2018-19 had announced the pre-determined principle to keep MSP at a level of one and half times of the cost of production. Accordingly, Government has increased the MSP for all mandated Kharif, Rabi  and  other  commercial  crops  with  a  return  of  atleast  50  per  cent  over  all  India weighted average cost of production from the agricultural year 2018-19 onwards. List of mandated agricultural crops under the MSP regime is given at Annex.

(b):    The  inclusion  of  crops  under  MSP  framework  is  dependent  on  several  factors which include relatively large shelf life, widely grown, item of mass consumption, among others.  Time to time, Government examines the above-mentioned factors while adding new crops under MSP regime.

(c):   To realize the objectives of MSP Policy, the Government extends price support to paddy  and  wheat  through  the  Food  Corporation  of  India  (FCI)  and  State  Agencies. Under  this  policy,  whatever  food  grains  are  offered  by  farmers,  within  the  stipulated period & conforming to the specifications prescribed by Government are purchased at MSP  by  the  State  Government  agencies  including  FCI  for  Central  Pool.  Further, oilseeds, pulses and copra of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) are procured from registered farmers  under  Price  Support  Scheme  under  Umbrella  Scheme  of  Pradhan  Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA), as per its prescribed guidelines at MSP in consultation with the concerned State Government as and when market price of these produce fall below the MSP. Cotton and Jute are also procured by Government at MSP through Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and Jute Corporation of India (JCI).

Government's price policy is to ensure remunerative prices to farmers by offering to procure their produce at MSP. However, farmers are free to sell their produce to the Government  procurement  agencies  at  MSP  or  in  the  open  market  whichever  is advantageous to them.

Annex  referred  to in reply to  part  (a)  of  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question No.1041due for reply on 13.12. 2022

## Mandated Agricultural Crops

| Sl. No.     | Commodity        |
|-------------|------------------|
|             | KHARIF CROPS     |
| 1 2         | PADDY JOWAR      |
| 3           | BAJRA            |
| 4           | RAGI             |
| 5           | MAIZE            |
| 6           | TUR (ARHAR)      |
| 7           | MOONG            |
| 8           | URAD             |
| 9           | GROUNDNUT        |
| 10          | SUNFLOWER SEED   |
| 11          | SOYABEEN         |
| 12          | SESAMUM          |
| 13          | NIGERSEED        |
| 14          | COTTON           |
| RABI CROPS  | RABI CROPS       |
| 15          | WHEAT            |
| 16          | BARLEY           |
| 17          | GRAM             |
| 18          | MASUR (LENTIL)   |
| 19          | RAPESEED&MUSTARD |
| 20          | SAFFLOWER        |
| OTHER CROPS | OTHER CROPS      |
| 21          | COPRA            |
| 22          | JUTE             |
| 23          | SUGARCANE*       |

* Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) is fixed for Sugarcane.

*****