MSP – Minimum Support Price
There has been a persistent demand by the
farmers for MSP for their produce and this demand has become louder during the
agitation that is seen at the National Capital, which is basically pointing
towards repeal of farm laws. The incumbent government claims that it has hiked
MSP on certain commodities during its regime.
Since India is a vast nation with umpteen geographical locations, climatic zones, soil condition, food habits etc there is no fixed pattern for the selection of crops cultivated by the farmers based on actual Demand and supply; hence, there is no possibility for a scientific estimate of production vis-à-vis demand. Within the jurisdiction of a state, several variables could be seen and obviously as a nation it is unimaginable, although efforts are in progress, which does not reach a logical end!
The issue of fixing MSP is not confined to Agricultural crops but also horticultural crops, whose production in the recent years has overtaken the former, which may not find a feasible solution. The success of recent decision by the Kerala Govt. to fix MSP for Horticultural crops is yet to be ascertained, as it is on an experimental stage.
Unless the MSP becomes a scientifically decided parameter and managed by each state, no amount of intervention by the central government may not yield satisfactory result….For example, the production cost of Paddy grown by a small land holder is much larger than that of a large land holder and obviously the imbroglio cannot be solved by adopting to fit one standard for all!
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