The farmers of Punjab and Haryana, who contribute over 60 per cent of wheat to the national pool for public distribution in the country, are unhappy over the meagre increase in minimum support price (MSP) of wheat for this rabi season.
A revision of Rs 20 per quintal in the MSP of wheat according to farmers was a farce in the wake of escalating costs of input and inflation in the economy.
Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda demanded a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal for wheat from the Central government while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have sought for a bonus of Rs 400 per quintal.
According to BJP Kisan Morcha National President Om Prakash Dhankar, “Steep inflation and rising diesel prices have cost farmers dearly thereby skyrocketing the input prices of the crop. This year, a mere Rs 20 MSP of wheat has been raised, whereas Central government employees were earlier given 10 per cent dearness allowance and later 6 per cent more allowance was granted. He demanded the wheat MSP should be fixed at Rs 1,500 per quintal, keeping in view the inflation and the larger interest of farmers, he added.
Jagtar Singh Mehma, a progressive farmer from Bhatinda in Punjab told Business Standard that a farmer can earn Rs 19,200 per acre assuming an average yield of 16 quintal per acre of wheat in Punjab. Deducting an input cost of Rs 8,000 per acre, he can save Rs 11,200 per acre. But if the land cost (land is taken on lease for farming) of Rs 15,000 per acre is taken in account then farmers’ income becomes less than the cost of farming.
He added, the power cost is not included for deciding farmers remuneration as the power supply is free in Punjab but a farmer spends Rs 5,000 per acre on an average on water, due to inadequate supply of power.
Sukhbir Singh, sarpanch of village Ambola in district Jhajjar said the income in other sectors has been increasing at a higher rate than farming so this has brought frustration among the state farmers.
He added, in lieu of subsidies (power, seeds and fertilisers), the farmers want to be rewarded by linking the price of commodities to the price index. “We have to spend more on our daily needs as inflation is on the rise but increase in our income is not compatible to our expenditure,” said Singh.
