New Delhi, Dec 6 : Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday said that the Centre will not only fix the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops at more than 50 per cent of the production cost but also procure the produce from farmers.  Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, he said that the Congress had previously denied farmers the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops. “In contrast, the Central Government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has consistently increased the MSP over the last decade,” the minister said.

He highlighted that in 2015, the ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, marking a significant shift towards prioritising farmers’ welfare, which was previously lacking. He said that when the Congress was in power, they said that they cannot accept the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Commission. In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government decided that MSP rates would be fixed by adding 50 per cent profit on the cost. “When the Congress government was in power, they never gave more than 50 per cent profit to the farmers on cost, but we are committed to buying the crops of the farmers by giving at least more than 50 per cent profit,” he said.

“There has been an unprecedented increase in the budget allocation for agriculture. Till 2013-14, it was only Rs 21,900 crore, which has now been increased to Rs 1.23 lakh crore,” he pointed out. “We have six priorities for farmers’ welfare -- we will increase production, reduce the cost of production, give fair price for the production if there is any loss in the crop, we will compensate for it through Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, we will diversify agriculture and by taking them towards natural farming, we will increase the income of farmers so that farmers will not be in a position to demand loan waiver again and again,” the minister said.

Chouhan stated that the government provides not only fertilizers but also subsidies to support farmers. Recently, a substantial subsidy of Rs 1.94 lakh crore was allocated to farmers. This enables farmers to purchase essential items like urea and DAP at lower prices. Notably, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has achieved a significant milestone by offering subsidies on bags costing Rs 2100. By providing subsidies to farmers across India, the government ensures timely availability of fertilizers, a commitment that will continue in the future, the minister added.

He said at the same time, the government was actively promoting awareness about the harmful effects of excessive and indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers. As a result, adequate focus was also being given towards organic and natural farming practices. However, Chouhan assured that the government remains committed to providing subsidised fertilizers to farmers. “We have consistently made adequate amounts of fertilizers available and will continue to do so in the future. Our goal is to strike a balance between promoting sustainable farming practices and ensuring that our farmers have access to the resources they need,” he said.

/IANS