Farmers Movement Archive

Shetti: will offer support if Centre promises MSP

Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) chief Raju Shetti on Friday reiterated his opposition to the Centre’s farm Bills and said destroying the system of agricultural produce market committees (APMC) and replacing it with contract farming did not guarantee that farmers would not be exploited. Speaking in Kolhapur, Mr. Shetti said he is willing to support the Bills only if Prime Minister Modi announces a minimum support price for farmers. “The Centre must understand that our protest is not merely a political agitation. We are upset as there is a sinister intent behind passing these three Bills, which the Modi government could do so only on the strength of a brute majority,” said Mr. Shetti, who burnt copies of the Bills while his party workers staged protests across Maharashtra. He said around 30% of the foodgrains produced in the country are procured by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) and the Food Corporation of India (FCI) through APMCs. He said, “The Centre purchases agricultural commodities with a minimum guarantee. That is their responsibility. It acts as a base for farmers.” Mr. Shetti said farmers are worried about what would happen to their MSP once the corporates took over. He said, “Farmers in Maharashtra have not been hit hard yet. So, there is relative peace here. But in Bihar, farmers are selling maize at Rs. 1,100 per quintal even though the guaranteed price is Rs. 1,850 per quintal. Who is responsible for this?” Mr. Shetti said there was widespread anxiety that the FCI and NAFED would be sold to corporates. Given that 80% farmers in India are smallholders, Mr. Shetti said they were extremely vulnerable to corporate exploitation.

The Hindu

2020-09-26

Pune