Centre asks farmers to name representatives for MSP committee

Formal written communication yet to be received, says Samyukt Kisan Morcha

Moving forward on the Prime Minister’s promise to set up a committee to discuss minimum support prices (MSP) for crops among other issues, the Centre has informally asked protesting farm unions to suggest five names to be part of the panel. However, the leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a joint platform of the unions, say no formal written communication has yet been received.

The move came a day after Parliament repealed the three contentious farm reform laws as had been demanded by the protesting unions. Their other key demand is for a legal guarantee that all farmers will receive remunerative prices, one and a half times the comprehensive cost of production, for all their crops.

On November 19, the Prime Minister said a committee would be formed “to promote zero budgeting based agriculture, to change crop pattern as per the changing needs of the country and to make MSP more effective and transparent”, with representatives from State and Central Governments, farmers, agricultural scientists and economists.