Ministers, farmers hold discussions on MSP law

A top government team led by two Union ministers - Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Pralhad Joshi - along with Punjab officials held crucial talks with farm unions on Saturday in Chandigarh on their longstanding demand for guaranteed floor prices, with both parties deciding to meet next on March 19, farm leaders and officials said.

- Zia Haq and Gurpreet Singh Nibber

Zia Haq and Gurpreet Singh Nibber [e-mail] NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH:

The government is expected to table a set of proposals for consideration by the farmers in the next round on their single-point demand to bring a law that will make it compulsory for traders and buyers of farm produce to pay federally fixed minimum support prices, or MSP, to cultivators for 23 notified crops.

They are also likely to report the progress of the talks to the prime minister's office before the next round, an official said.

MSPs are rates set by the Centre at 1.5 times the cost of cultivation to serve a price signal for markets, but they are largely notional for most crops, barring cereals.

Two years after farm unions ended their massive protest on Delhi's borders, they are back on the streets demanding guaranteed prices for their crops. Farmers are an important voting bloc and resolving their demand for assured MSP is one of the biggest challenges for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government.

The farmers had finalised a 13-point agenda for the talks but whittled it down to the sole issue of MSP, said Sarwan Singh Pandher, the leader of Kisan Mazdoor Sangh, one of the key constituents of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) or SNM (NP). The farmers don't want to get distracted on other issues now, Pandher said.