Farmers Movement Archive

‘Indian economy will face crisis if…’ Here's what SC-appointed panel member said

A member of the Supreme Court-appointed panel on agricultural laws cautioned on Monday that the Indian economy will face crisis if a legislation is brought for ensuring the minimum support price (MSP) for crops.Anil Ghanwat's remarks came close on the heels farmers' unions making fresh demands for a legislation on MSP even as they lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent announcement of Union government repealing the three contentious farm laws.On Monday, Bharat Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait pressed for legal guarantee for MSP, and said the movement of the farmers would continue till their demands were met. The president of Shetkari Sangathana, Ghanwat opined the demand for MSP is not sustainable and said if the government agrees to the proposal for extending MSPs to 23 crops, it would drive the country to bankruptcy."If there is going to be a law (on MSP), we (India) will face a crisis. With the law, if the (procurement) process goes down someday, no one will be able to buy the produce as procuring it at a price lower than the MSP will be illegal and they (traders) will be put in jails for it," Ghanwat was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.The MSPs, which began with the Green Revolution, are set such that they offer 50% returns over cost but mainly benefit paddy and wheat growers because the government procures only these two commodities in sufficiently large quantities.ALSO READ | MSP law bigger battle for farmers, govt, say analystsHe outlined that both the Centre and the farmer leaders should think of some other way to boost farm income and remarked that a legislation on MSP is not the solution.Ghanwat cautioned that not only will the “crisis” affect the traders but it will also harm the stockists and everybody else related to it.  "Even the commodity market will be disturbed. It will be distorted," Ghanwat said, adding, “We are not against MSP, but the open-ended procurement is a problem. We require 41 lakh tonnes of grains for buffer stock but procured 110 lakh tonnes. If MSP law is made, all farmers will demand MSP for their crops and no one will be in a position to earn anything out of that.”Ghanwat went a step ahead to call the repeal of the farm laws “unfortunate” and said existing system of agriculture is “not enough”. "Even if the new laws which were introduced were not very perfect, there were some flaws which needed to be corrected. I think this government had the will to reform agriculture as the earlier governments didn't have the political will. I hope another committee will be formed comprising of opposition leaders and farm leaders from all states and then new farm laws are discussed in the parliament and should be introduced," Ghanwat told ANI.Ghanwat suggested the farmers to diversify their produce and go for high-value crops which will give them more returns.

Hindustan Times

23-11-2021

India