Farmers demand fair price for produce

The guidelines issued by the Home Ministry a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the lockdown till May 3, has allowed exceptions for rural work under MNREGA. However, the farmers' organisations demand that the government must ensure that their crops will be purchased at Minimum Support Price (MSP) and also that the PM must address the farmer community to boost their confidence.

New Delhi:Following the proclamation of lockdown extension, the Home Ministry has come up with fresh sets of guidelines on Wednesday. Despite the HM guidelines giving relaxation to the agriculture sector, the ground reality describes a different story.

VM Singh, an organising member of the Akhil Bhartiya Kishan committee said, "The government claims the Farmer Producer Organization (FPO), which is responsible for the collectivization of producers especially small and marginal farmers, has been engaged in purchasing the crops, but in reality, no such arrangements have been made by the administration."

"In this miserable condition, the government must ensure the farmer that their crops will be purchased at Minimum Support Price (MSP)," he said.

Due to the inactiveness of the government, the farmers are forced to sell their crops to private firms at a much lower price, added Singh.

He further maintained that the PM must address the farmer community to boost their confidence.

"Earlier, the government had given relaxation to the movement of trolleys, agriculture equipment shops and those who are responsible for providing aid to the farm sector. Despite, the government guidelines, policemen use to torture them", said Singh.

MJ Khan, Chairman of Indian chamber of food and agriculture said that the government should arrange the transportation of crop from the farmland to the mandi.

"This is the harvesting time of Rabi crops. The process requires a large number of labourers. Therefore, the centre must arrange special trains, buses to transport the daily earners to the farmlands" said Khan.

He further added that it will reduce the problem of unemployment among the migrant labourers.

Choudhary Pushpendra Singh, Director of Kishan Shakti Sangh said that the centre must announce special relief packages to the farmers.

"Presently, they are getting Rs 6,000 under PM-KISAN scheme. The amount should be increased to Rs 24,000. The limit of Kishan credit card must be doubled and the interest rate should be decreased to 1% for the next two years."

Those who have been registered under Mahatma Gandhi Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA), can be engaged in harvesting the Rabi crops.

India's nationwide coronavirus lockdown, the biggest in the world, extended until at least May 3, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said while addressing the nation on April 14.