Centre's move to hike MSP of wheat 'inadequate': Sukhbir Singh Badal

Terming the increase of Minimum Support Price (MSP) as 'huge disappointment' for farmers, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said the Centre's decision to hike Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat by Rs 50 per quintal was inadequate. Earlier on Sunday, the minister urged President Ram Nath Kovind not to sign the farm Bills.

Chandigarh: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said that the Centre's decision to hike Minimum Support Price (MSP) of wheat by Rs 50 per quintal was inadequate and is a 'huge disappointment' for farmers.

"Rs 50 per quintal hike in the MSP of wheat announced by GOI is utterly inadequate and this comes as a huge disappointment to the farmers who are already battling unremunerative prices of their produce. This increase will not even cover the increased costs of inputs including diesel," he said in a tweet.

Earlier, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, said, "Government has hiked MSP by Rs 50 per quintal for wheat, Rs 225 per quintal for gram, Rs 300 per quintal for lentil, Rs 225 per quintal for mustard seeds and Rs 75 per quintal for barley."

Tomar on Monday told the Lok Sabha that MSP of six Rabi crops has been increased. The increase came a day after two agriculture-related bills were passed by the Parliament. The minister said that the NDA government has been implementing the Swaminathan Committee recommendation to provide farmers' price at 1.5 times of the production cost.

"After the Parliament passed historic agriculture bills, today some important decisions were taken regarding an increase in MSP. Before the sowing of Rabi crops, today, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the MSP of six Rabi crops," Tomar said.

"After an increase of Rs 50, MSP of wheat is now Rs 1,975 per quintal. MSP of chana (gram) has been hiked by Rs 225 per quintal to Rs 5,100. MSP of masoor (lentil) has been fixed at Rs 5,100 per quintal after an increase Rs 300. MSP of mustard has been increased by Rs 200 to Rs 4,050 per quintal. MSP of barley has increased by Rs 75 Rs to Rs 1,600 per quintal. After an increase of Rs 112, MSP of safflower is now Rs 5,327 per quintal," he informed.

Earlier on September 17, SAD leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigned from the union cabinet in protest against the agriculture-related bills.

(ANI)