'Double Income of Farmers, 50% Remunerative Price': Bharatiya Kisan Union's Dharmendra Malik

Farmers should have got a 50% remunerative price, said Dharmendra Malik (National Spokesperson) of Bharatiya Kisan Union. He thinks that the Government of India has lost an opportunity to pay tribute to Dr. MS Swaminathan by paying the farmers in this country a 50% remuneration price. The prices of rabi crops need to double or else the farmers cannot cope, he said.

The central government on Tuesday, October 19, announced the highest increase in MSP by Rs 425 per quintal for masoor (lentils), Rs 200 per quintal for mustard, Rs 150 per quintal for wheat, Rs 115 per quintal for barley and Rs 150 per quintal for gram.

For wheat, the price has been increased by Rs 105 per quintal. The price of wheat will be Rs 2275 per quintal, while the price of mustard will be Rs 5650 per quintal.

With this increased MSP of Rabi crops, only the input expenses of the farmers will be covered. He asked, "The MSP of major Rabi crops has not even doubled in the last 10 years. Then how will the income of farmers be doubled?"

He also noted that "The MSP of gram has increased by only 1.96% this year. Rising costs and declining profits make farming depreciating."

However, the support price of wheat has increased the most in the last ten years.

The Government of India had the opportunity to pay a true tribute to Dr. MS Swaminathan ji by declaring a remunerative price to the farmers by adding 50% to the cost, which the Government of India has lost.