Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Minimum support price cannot be 50% more than cost of produce, Centre to SC -Dhananjay Mahapatra

Minimum support price cannot be 50% more than cost of produce, Centre to SC -Dhananjay Mahapatra

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Feb 21, 2015   modified Modified on Feb 21, 2015
-The Times of India

NEW DELHI: Farmers' plight has worsened due to the non-remunerative nature of agriculture but the Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it would not be able to enhance the minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce to be 50% more than the input cost.

A PIL filed by Consortium of Indian Farmers Association had complained that agriculture had become non-remunerative and was driving farmers to borrow heavily from local money-lenders. Unable to repay loans, farmers were committing suicide, it said. Suggesting a quantum jump in the MSP to help them overcome their pitiable financial condition, the association had demanded implementation of the National Policy for Farmers.

Appearing before a bench of Justices S J Mukhopadhaya and N V Ramana, additional solicitor general Maninder Singh submitted the Centre's affidavit, which said MSP for 22 agricultural commodities and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane were recommended by the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP).

MSP and FRP were fixed keeping in mind the cost of production, demand and supply, price trends in domestic and international markets, inter-crop price parity, terms of trade between agricultural and non-agricultural sectors and the likely impact of MSP on consumers, the affidavit said.

"It may be noted that pricing policy, that is fixing of MSP, is not a 'cost plus' exercise, though cost is an important determinant of MSP. The pricing policy seeks to achieve the objective of fair and remunerative prices and is not an income policy," the agriculture ministry said.

"Hence, prescribing an increase of at least 50% on cost may distort the market. A mechanical linkage between MSP and cost of production may be counter-productive in some cases. No comparison can be made about increase or decrease of price of one commodity as compared to other commodities as the same depends on demand and supply and market forces," the affidavit said.

It said India accounted for only 2.4% of the world's geographical area and 4% of its water resources but had to support 17% of the world's population and 15% of the world's livestock. "The government has taken all possible steps for implementation of National Policy for Farmers, 2007 for development and growth of agriculture and allied sectors as well as for the betterment of farmers," it said.

 


The Times of India, 21 February, 2015, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Minimum-support-price-cannot-be-50-more-than-cost-of-produce-Centre-to-SC/articleshow/46319093.cms


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close