Govt hikes support prices for wheat, five other rabi crops

Under attack from the Opposition over farm sector reforms, Centre on Monday declared the minimum support price for winter crops, assuring to buy wheat at Rs 1,975 per quintal, an increase of Rs 50 over last year.

At a special meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was decided to increase the support price for other rabi crops such as chana, masoor, barley, safflower and mustard.

The sudden decision came a day after the government faced opposition fire for overpassing two agri-reforms bills in the Rajya Sabha amid pandemonium.

For latest updates on Parliament proceedings, click here

“Congress has been spreading rumours about MSP. We have declared MSP for rabi crops much before the start of the sowing season,” Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, said in a statement in the Lok Sabha.

Tomar said MSP of chana has been increased by Rs 225 to Rs 5,100 per quintal, that of barley by Rs 75 to Rs 1,600 per quintal. The support price for masoor has been hiked by Rs 300 to Rs 5,100 per quintal.

The MSP of mustard/ rapeseed has been increased by Rs 225 to Rs 4,650 per quintal, while that of safflower has been hiked by Rs 112 to Rs 5,327 per quintal.

A battery of union ministers addressed a press conference to claim that public procurement had nearly doubled during the Modi government in comparison to UPA-II.

“Between 2009-14, the UPA government had purchased foodgrains worth Rs 3.76 lakh crore at MSP rates. The Modi government purchased foodgrains worth Rs 6.97 lakh crore between 2014-19,” Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here. He was flanked by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi.

Congress has been accusing the Modi government of planning to discard the MSP regime and dismantle the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committees, which form the backbone of the farm sector.

“We have taken the wind out of the confusion spread by the Opposition on MSP and APMC,” Prasad said.

He accused the Congress of hypocrisy and said the Opposition party had promised similar farm sector reforms in its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections last year.

Prasad said Congress governments in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Haryana and Punjab had introduced contract farming years ago and were now targeting the Modi government.

“Rahul Gandhi should speak with Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Amarinder Singh, and Kamal Nath first before casting aspersions on the Modi government,” Prasad said.