The agriculture minister points out that PM made the promise when it announced the repeal of three farm bills that farmers had been protesting for over a year
The agriculture minister points out that PM made the promise when it announced the repeal of three farm bills that farmers had been protesting for over a year
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar said in the Rajya Sabha on Friday that as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2021, the government will set up a Minimum Support Price (MSP) committee once they have the names of representatives of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha received (SKM).
Answering a question from DMK’s M. Shanmugam during Question Time, Mr Tomar said the government was determined to set up the committee. The prime minister made the pledge when he announced the repeal of three farm bills that farmers had been protesting for over a year.
Mr Tomar said the PM had announced a committee would be formed on organic farming, crop diversification and more transparent MSPs. The government was working on the matter.
“We asked the Samyukt Kisan Morcha for names. Talks are going on with them. As soon as the names are received, the committee will be formed,” explained Mr. Tomar, referring to the umbrella organization of farmers’ unions that had protested against the farm laws.
Problem with parboiled rice
At the start of Question Time, Minister of Consumers, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal slammed state governments for “misleading” farmers in sourcing parboiled rice. In response to a question from K. Keshava Rao of Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Mr. Goyal reiterated the Center’s position that states could procure parboiled rice for intra-state distribution, but the Center could not. The government had notified states of their inability to source parboiled rice as it had four or five years left in stock and no further demand.
The Telangana government, he noted, had “written notice” that it would give the center raw rice, not parboiled rice. There was an attempt by “some MPs and some state governments” to mislead farmers. Mr Rao had said the rules and laws in question said the government would procure rice, not rice, which could come in different forms.
