Tur growers cry foul over Centre's MSP

KALABURAGI: Central government announced its minimum support prices for agricultural crops for the year 2023-24 on Wednesday. Tur farmers in Kalaburagi allege there was a discrepancy while fixing these prices.

The central government has increased tur crop MSP by Rs 400 per quintal.
With this, tur price has gone up to Rs 7,000 from the previous Rs 6,600.Meanwhile, MSP for green gram has been increased by Rs 803 and the price per quintal has gone up from Rs 7,765 to Rs 8,558 per quintal.
The tur farmers in Kalaburagi district are saying that MSP has not been fixed scientifically. "Tur crop is a long-term crop and green gram is a short-term crop. The price fixed is wrong," they say.
Farming community has been demanding to fix the prices of agricultural produce according to the Swaminathan Commission report, wherein it has been clearly mentioned that the price should be fixed based on the expenses incurred to grow the product. This is a long-pending demand that has not been fulfilled by any government for decades. They should have increased the tur MSP by at least Rs 1,000 which would have been beneficial, opine growers.
Tur grower Ninganna Siddappa from Mavanur village in Jewargi taluk said that the expenses to grow tur crop are too high. "Price of fertisers has increased. Hiking MSP by only Rs 400 per quintal is not beneficial to farmers," he said.
Krishik Samaj president Siddaramappa Patil Dangapur said there is a disparity in the MSP hike between tur and green gram.
"Tur is a 180 days crop, for which only Rs 400 has been increased, while green gram crop is an 80 days crop, for which MSP has been increased by Rs 803 per quintal. We can clearly see the inconsistency here," he added.
Dangapur said expenses involved in growing tur crop have gone up significantly. "Seeds and fertilisers have become very costly. Labor cost has gone up. In order to to keep up with these expenses, if the MSP is not increased, then the grower will incur losses, that can lead to so many problems," he said