Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], September 24 : Farmer leader and national president of the Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh, Shivkumar Kakka, warned on Tuesday that their farmers' agitation will intensify if the government does not increase the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for soybean and other crops.
Kakka addressed a press conference in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, demanding the introduction of a law based on the 'C2+50%' formula for MSP evaluation, with the government guaranteeing timely procurement of farmers' produce.
The C2+50% formula, recommended by the Swaminathan Commission, ensures that the MSP for crops is at least 50% higher than the weighted average cost of production. 'C2' refers to the cost of production, which includes the paid-out costs, the imputed value of family labour, the rental value of owned land, and interest on fixed capital.
Kakka said, "The Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh has been protesting across the state for the last two months to demand an increase in the MSP for soybean and other crops. During the election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Union Ministers promised that farmers would be given one and a half times the cost of production for every crop. However, it seems the government is reneging on these promises, which is why we are intensifying our agitation across the entire state."
"Our demand is for a law based on the C2+50% formula for MSP, and for the government to guarantee timely crop procurement. The MSP for soybean should be raised from Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 per quintal, cotton between Rs 12,000 and Rs 14,000 per quintal, and maize between Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,500 per quintal. Additionally, red chilli should be included in the category of spices," he added.
He further stressed that improvements must be made to the Land Acquisition Act, stating that agricultural land should not be acquired under any circumstances. If, in the event of a disaster, agricultural land is acquired, farmers should be compensated at ten times the market price.
Notably, farmers have been protesting across the state for the increase in the MSP for soybean, demanding it be raised from Rs 4,892 to Rs 6,000 per quintal. Farmers claim that they are not receiving fair prices for their crops and are unable to recover their costs at the current MSP.