SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday said the increase in the MSP announced by the Centre for paddy is not only insufficient but also a “retrograde step” that will take agriculture backwards instead of doubling farm income by 2022.
He said the “marginal increase” of Rs 72 per quintal for the 2021-22 kharif season is not sufficient to cover the rise in the cost of agricultural inputs like diesel and fertilisers.
The government should have taken into account the actual cost of production while determining the MSP, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president said in a statement here.
The one and a half times income formula should be applied on the actual cost of production, including rent and interest foregone by farmers on land and machinery, he said.
Asking the Centre to provide a level playing field to the farming community, Badal said the new MSP is a cruel joke on farmers who are already facing a crisis due to the three farm laws that are expected to undermine the MSP regime and assured government purchase of foodgrains.
The cavalier manner in which the MSP has been calculated also exposes the apathetic attitude of the government towards farmers. The SAD demands the government provide a remunerative MSP to support farmers. The MSP should be increased keeping in view the actual cost of production, Badal added.