Citing rising input costs, MP presses for higher wheat MSP

The Madhya Pradesh government has asked the Centre to raise minimum support price of wheat by Rs 250 a quintal from existing support price for the commodity. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said input cost in farming has gone up significantly, as a result of which the Centre should provide more compensation to the farmers.

“Input price in agriculture in the state have gone up. The Center must consider rising process of fertilisers, seeds, diesel and power. They (Centre) must raise minimum support of price for wheat from existing 1350 per quintal to Rs 1600 per quintal,” Chouhan has said. State also offers Rs 100 per quintal bonus on procurement of the commodity.

Bhartiya Kisan Sangh has also separately demanded a considerable raise in wheat support prices. “Input cost has gone up to Rs 2700-2800 per quintal in lieu what they pay us just Rs 1350?” asks an office-bearer of the Sangh.

State had last year procured 86 lakh tones of wheat as wheat production was reported record high in the state. “The state,” according to a top official in Farmer welfare and agriculture department, “has chalked out a strategy to outsmart Uttar Pradesh and Punjab this year. And the growth rate in agriculture is likely to touch 20% against 18% in 2011.”

With buoyancy in availability of seed and fertilisers, Madhya Pradesh is the third largest wheat producing state in the country. Hoshangabad and Harda districts, for example, have reported highest productivity at 50 quintals per acre last year. With its contribution reaching 15 lakh ton in terms of productivity Hoshangabad is probably the highest wheat producing district in India.

Madhya Pradesh has estimated to procure more than 80 lakh ton this year again as almost all fifty districts have reported higher wheat sowing at 4.33 million hectare which is more than 30% over the previous year. State farmers mainly grow cultivated Lok-1 variety of wheat.

However poor warehousing facility and shortage of jute sacks had claimed one life of farmer in Bareli town (district Raisen), who was participating in protest, when police fired at the mob last year.