Sharad Yadav urges Govt to strengthen procurement system

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi  : Former Union Minister Sharad Yadav on July 5, 2018, said that an increase in MSPs of different crops is meaningless unless procurement system is strengthened.

Yadav, in astatement, said the Government is nervous on almost all matters including the issues of farmers in the country. ” Now this Government has decided to increase the MSPs of different crops more than the increase in the previous four years. This has been done after seeing the record suicides by farmers in the present regime. In my opinion, unless the procurement system of different crops of the farmers is revamped and made robust, the farmers will continue to make distress sales,” Yadav said. 

“I have come back after ten days from Bihar and found that the farmers are selling paddy at the rate of Rs1,200- 1,300 per quintal whereas the current MSP is Rs 15.50. Similarly, they are selling Maize at the rate of less than Rs 850-900 per quintal whereas the current MSP is Rs 1,425. In the case of Moong, the farmers are selling it at the rate of Rs 3,000-3,500 per quintal whereas the MSP is Rs 5,575. I have been visiting many States but the position of procurement of different crops from the farmers is the same except for the States of Punjab and Haryana.  The procurement agencies make the procurement to the extent of requirement under PDS, ” Yadav added.

In the absence of dedicated procurement of market produce, any increase in MS.s is meaningless, Yadav said. First of all, our procurement system needs to be strengthened and the chain of Arhatias and middlemen needs to be removed as the farmers take advances from them and then sell their crop through their hands, he said.