Lok Sabha Question No. 1484 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-12
Subject: Committee on Guaranteed  MSP
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sukhbir Singh Badal

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1484

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 12 TH  DECEMBER, 2023

## COMMITTEE ON GUARANTEED MSP

1484. SHRI SUKHBIR SINGH BADAL

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

- (a) Whether the commitment was made to the agitating farmers last year for forming a Committee on Guaranteed MSP by the Union Government which has not been fulfilled so far, if so, the reasons for this delay;
- (b) whether the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has accused the Government of turning back from its promises of forming a committee on guaranteed MSP and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether any timeline has been drawn by the Government to fulfil the promise of forming a committee of guaranteed MSP with SKM representative and representative from the State of Punjab; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI ARJUN MUNDA)

(a) to (d):   The Government has constituted a Committee in July, 2022 vide notification no. 3053 dated  18-07-2022  (copy  enclosed)  which  consists  of  representatives  of  farmers,  Central Government, adequate representation of State Governments, eminent Agriculture Economists & Scientists etc. The Committee is to make suggestions so as to make Minimum Support Price (MSP) more effective and transparent; to promote natural farming; to change crop pattern keeping in mind the changing needs of the country. The meetings of the Committee are being held on regular basis to deliberate on the subject matters assigned to it.

## MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE (Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare) NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, 12th July, 2022

S.O. 3211(E). -As per announcement of Hon'ble Prime Minister that 'A committee will be constituted to promote Zero budget based farming, to change crop pattern keeping in mind the changing needs of the country, and to make MSP more effective and transparent & that the committee will consist of representatives of the Central Government and State Governments, Farmers, Agricultural Scientists and Agricultural Economists'; a committee is being constituted as follows-

## 1. Chairman

Shri Sanjay Agrawal (Former Agriculture Secretary)

## 2. Member NITI Aayog (Agriculture)

Shri Ramesh Chand

## 3. Agricultural Economist

- (i).  Dr. C.S.C. Shekhar (Indian Institute of Economic Development)
- (ii). Dr. Sukhpal Singh (IIM, Ahmedabad)

## 4. National Award Winning Farmer

Shri Bharat Bhushan Tyagi

## 5. Representatives of Farmers

- (i) Three members from Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (names to be added on receipt)
- (ii) Members from other farmer organizations
- Mr. Gunwant Patil
- Shri Krishnaveer Choudhary
- Mr. Pramod Kumar Choudhary
- Shri Guni Prakash
- Mr. Sayyed Pasha Patel

## 6. Representative of Farmers' Cooperative/Group

- (i) Shri Dilip Sanghani, Chairman, IFFCO
- (ii) Shri Binod Anand, General Secretary, CNRI

## 7. Senior Member of the CACP

Mr. Naveen P. Singh

## 8. Senior Member of Agricultural Universities/Institutions

- (i) Dr. P. Chandrashekhar, Director General, National Institute of Agricultural Extension (MANAGE)

(ii)  Dr.  J.P.  Sharma,  Vice  Chancellor,  Sher-e-Kashmir  University  of  Agricultural  Sciences  and Technology, Jammu

(iii) Dr. Pradeep Kumar Bisen, Vice Chancellor, Jawaharlal Nehru Agricultural University, Jabalpur

## 9. Representative of the Government of India

- (i) Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
- (ii) Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Director General (ICAR)
- (iii) Secretary, Department of Food and Public Distribution
- (iv) Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation
- (v) Secretary, Ministry of Textiles

## 10. Representatives of State Governments

- (i) Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Commissioner Agriculture, Karnataka
- (ii) Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Commissioner Agriculture, Andhra Pradesh,
- (iii) Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Commissioner Agriculture, Sikkim
- (iv) Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/Commissioner Agriculture, Odisha

## 11.Member-Secretary

Joint Secretary (Crops)

## Subject matter of constitution of the Committee

## A) M. S. P.

1. Suggestions to make available MSP to farmers of the country by making the system more effective and transparent.
2. Suggestions on practicality to give more autonomy to Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and measures to make it more scientific.
3. To strengthen the Agricultural Marketing System as per the changing requirements of the country to ensure higher value to the farmers through remunerative prices of their produce by taking advantage of the domestic and export opportunities.

## B) Natural Farming

1.  Suggestions  for  programmes  and  schemes  for  value  chain  development,  protocol  validation  & research for future needs and support for area expansion under the Indian Natural Farming System by publicity and through involvement and contribution of farmer organizations.
2. To suggest strategies for making Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVKs) and other Research & Development institutions  as  knowledge  centres,  and  introduction  of  natural  farming  system  curriculum  and  skill development courses in the Universities & other educational Institutions.
3. To suggest farmer friendly alternative certification system and marketing system for natural farming processes and products.
4.  To  suggest  methods  and  means  for  international  coordination  to  strengthen  the  value  chain development of natural farming.
5. Chain of laboratories for organic certification of products produced through natural farming.
- C. Crop Diversification
1. Mapping of existing cropping patterns of agro-ecological zones of producer and consumer states. 2. Strategy for diversification policy to change the cropping pattern according to the changing needs of the country. 3. Arrangement for agricultural diversification & system to ensure remunerative prices for the sale of new crops.
4. Review and suggestion on micro irrigation scheme.

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[F. No. 12/7/22-S.S.]

SHUBHA THAKUR, Jt. Secy