Lok Sabha Question No. 337 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-20
Subject: Farmers Agitation and MSP
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Asaduddin Owaisi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 337

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  JULY, 2021

## FARMERS AGITATION AND MSP

337. SHRI ASADUDDIN OWAISI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  farmers  agitation  is  continuing  and  there  is  no  talk  between  the Government and farmers on the three laws passed by the Parliament;
- (b) if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the Government has hiked Kharif MSP;
- (d) if so, the percentage increase in most Kharif crops;
- (e) the  other  steps  taken  or  being  taken  by  the  Government  for  the  welfare  of farmers; and
- (f) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  invite  farmers  for  talks  to  address  their grievances?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी

(SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) & (b): Some of the farmers' unions have been protesting against newly enacted Farm laws and their main demands of agitating farmers' unions regarding the three farm laws, were for their repeal viz. 'The Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and  Facilitation)  Act,  2020',  'The  Farmers  (Empowerment  and  Protection)  Agreement On  Price  Assurance  and  Farm  Services  Act,  2020'  &  'The  Essential  Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020'. Various efforts have been made by Government to end the protests.

Government  engaged  itself  actively  and  constantly  with  the  agitating  farmers unions to end the protests and so far, 11 rounds of discussions/talks were held between the Government & agitating farmers unions to resolve the issues. Details of the meetings are at Annexure-I .

Giving  top  priority  to  the  interest  of  farmers,  Government  vide  letter  dated  09 th December,  2020  addressed  to  Farmer  Unions,  explained  point   by   point,   how   the concerns  expressed  by  the  farmers  were  being  taken  care  of  in  the  proposal  of  the

Government of India.  Government also proposed to constitute a small group consisting with representative of farmers' unions, which can deliberate on Farm Laws clause-wise in  a  time  bound manner and can also consider other issues related to farmers, which representatives of farmers' unions have not agreed.

However,  Farmer  Unions  never  agreed  to  discuss  the  farm  laws  excepting  for demanding their repeal.

Government  is  always  open  to  discussion  with  farmers  Union  and  will  remain open to discussion with agitating farmers to resolve the issue.

(c) & (d): As reported  by data  provided by  Commission for  Agricultural Costs  and Prices(CACP), the details is at Annexure-II.

(e): The  Government  has  adopted  several  developmental  programmes,  schemes, reforms and policies that focus on higher incomes for the farmers. All these policies & programmes  are  being  supported  by  higher  budgetary  allocations,  non-budgetary financial resources by way of creating Corpus Funds like Micro Irrigation Fund and Agrimarketing scheme to strengthen eNAM and GrAMs, as also in the Ministry of  Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Fisheries to promote dairy and fishery sectors. There have been several reforms to unleash the potential and these include Market Reforms like Model APLM (Promotion & Facilitation) Act, 2017; Establishment of Gramin Agriculture Markets (GrAMs);  Agri-Export  Policy,  2018;  The  Farmers  Produce  Trade  and  Commerce (Promotion  &  Facilitation)  Act,  2020;  The  Farmers  (Empowerment  &  Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act.  2020; Amendments to Essential Commodities  Act,  1955;  Promotion  of  10,000  FPOs  with  necessary  financial  support under  Atma  Nirbhar  Package  (Agriculture)and  Supplementary  Income  transfers  under PM-KISAN; Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY); Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY); Increase in Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi Crops ensuring a minimum of 50 percent of profit margin on the cost of production; Har Med Par  Ped;  Bee-Keeping;  RashtriyaGokul  Mission;  Blue  Revolution;  Interest  Subvention Scheme;  Kisan  Credit  Card  (KCC)  that  now  offers  production  loan  to  even  dairy  & fishery farmers besides agricultural crops etc.

The  latest  major  intervention  includes  the  'Atma  Nirbhar  Bharat  -  Agriculture' which includes comprehensive market reforms and creation of 'Agricultural Infrastructure Fund  (AIF)' worth Rs. 1 lakh crores. This Fund  is in  synch  with  the  needed transformation  of  the  agriculture  sector,  particularly  at  the  post-harvest  management stage.  Additionally,  separate  allocations  have  been  made  in  favour  of  the  Ministry  of Animal Husbandry, Dairy & Fisheries, as also the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. These market reforms and infrastructure funds are expected to create alternate market options,  strengthen  market  infrastructure,  agri-logistics  &  food  processing  etc.  all  of which  will  connect  the  farm  gates  with  the  markets  and  enable  the  farmers  to  realise higher returns on their produce.

In  the  Budget  Announcement  2021-22,  allocation  to  Micro  Irrigation  Fund  has been doubled to Rs 10,000 crore and Institutional Credit has been increased to Rs 16.50 lakh crore.

(f): Government  engaged  itself  actively  and  constantly  with  the  agitating  farmers' unions and 11 rounds of negotiations were held between the Government and agitating farmers'  unions  to  resolve  the  issues.  Details  of  the  meetings  are  at  Annexure-I. Government is open to further discussions to resolve the issue.

Annexure-I

|   Sl.No | Rounds of negotiating talks with agitating farmer unions   | Date of meeting   |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|
|       1 | 1 st Round                                                 | 14.10.2020        |
|       2 | 2 nd Round                                                 | 13.11.2020        |
|       3 | 3 rd Round                                                 | 01.12.2020        |
|       4 | 4 th Round                                                 | 03.12.2020        |
|       5 | 5 th Round                                                 | 05.12.2020        |
|       6 | 6 th Round                                                 | 30.12.2020        |
|       7 | 7 th Round                                                 | 04.01.2021        |
|       8 | 8 th Round                                                 | 08.01.2021        |
|       9 | 9 th Round                                                 | 15.01.2021        |
|      10 | 10 th Round                                                | 20.01.2021        |
|      11 | 11 th Round                                                | 22.01.2021        |

## Minimum Support /Fair Remunerative Prices Recommended by CACP and Fixed by Government (Crop Year)

(₹/qtl)Updated on 19.06.2021

| Commodity                                                           | 2018- 19                                                            | 2019- 20                                                            | 2020- 21                                                            | 2021- 22                                                            | Percentage increase in 2021- 22 w.r.t 2020-21                       |
|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Paddy Common                                                        | 1750                                                                | 1815                                                                | 1868                                                                | 1940                                                                | 3.9                                                                 |
| Paddy (F)/Grade'A'                                                  | 1770                                                                | 1835                                                                | 1888                                                                | 1960                                                                | 3.8                                                                 |
| Jowar-Hybrid                                                        | 2430                                                                | 2550                                                                | 2620                                                                | 2738                                                                | 4.5                                                                 |
| Jowar-Maldandi                                                      | 2450                                                                | 2570                                                                | 2640                                                                | 2758                                                                | 4.5                                                                 |
| Bajra                                                               | 1950                                                                | 2000                                                                | 2150                                                                | 2250                                                                | 4.7                                                                 |
| Maize                                                               | 1700                                                                | 1760                                                                | 1850                                                                | 1870                                                                | 1.1                                                                 |
| Ragi                                                                | 2897                                                                | 3150                                                                | 3295                                                                | 3377                                                                | 2.5                                                                 |
| Tur (Arhar)                                                         | 5675                                                                | 5800                                                                | 6000                                                                | 6300                                                                | 5                                                                   |
| Moong                                                               | 6975                                                                | 7050                                                                | 7196                                                                | 7275                                                                | 1.1                                                                 |
| Urad                                                                | 5600                                                                | 5700                                                                | 6000                                                                | 6300                                                                | 5                                                                   |
| Groundnut                                                           | 4890                                                                | 5090                                                                | 5275                                                                | 5550                                                                | 5.2                                                                 |
| Sunflower Seed                                                      | 5388                                                                | 5650                                                                | 5885                                                                | 6015                                                                | 2.2                                                                 |
| Soyabean Yellow                                                     | 3399                                                                | 3710                                                                | 3880                                                                | 3950                                                                | 1.8                                                                 |
| Sesamum                                                             | 6249                                                                | 6485                                                                | 6855                                                                | 7307                                                                | 6.6                                                                 |
| Nigerseed                                                           | 5877                                                                | 5940                                                                | 6695                                                                | 6930                                                                | 3.5                                                                 |
| Medium Staple Cotton^                                               | 5150                                                                | 5255                                                                | 5515                                                                | 5726                                                                | 3.8                                                                 |
| Long Staple Cotton^^                                                | 5450                                                                | 5550                                                                | 5825                                                                | 6025                                                                | 3.4                                                                 |
| ^: Staple length (mm) of 24.5-25.5 and micronaire value of 4.3-5.1. | ^: Staple length (mm) of 24.5-25.5 and micronaire value of 4.3-5.1. | ^: Staple length (mm) of 24.5-25.5 and micronaire value of 4.3-5.1. | ^: Staple length (mm) of 24.5-25.5 and micronaire value of 4.3-5.1. | ^: Staple length (mm) of 24.5-25.5 and micronaire value of 4.3-5.1. | ^: Staple length (mm) of 24.5-25.5 and micronaire value of 4.3-5.1. |

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