MSP unfair to states, says min; demands central procurement

Hyderabad: Agriculture minister Tummala Nageswara Rao on Friday alleged that while the central govt announces the minimum support price (MSP), it places the responsibility of procuring crops on the states, significantly burdening them. He demanded that the Centre procure every crop for which MSP is announced. During a meeting, the minister reviewed the selection of rice varieties, seed availability, and cultivation plans for the upcoming Kharif season with agricultural university scientists and department officials. The minister noted that last year, the availability of 33 rice varieties created difficulties for farmers during procurement, as some did not receive bonuses, an issue that came to govt's attention.‘Procure every crop'To avoid such problems this year, he emphasised focusing on a limited number of varieties that yield higher returns for farmers. As part of the governance progress plan, he instructed that special awareness programmes on these seeds be conducted during farmer festivals from May 4 to 9, and that the selected seed varieties be made available to farmers by May 15. The minister criticised the central govt for limiting its role to announcing MSP, stating that it does not ensure whether farmers actually receive the declared prices. He pointed out that no measures are taken to enforce MSP in the open market, leading to losses for farmers. In states like Telangana, the govt procures crops at support prices to prevent such losses, which places an additional financial burden. He noted that this results in an extra burden of 2,000 to 3,000 crore annually, with no support from the Centre. He reiterated that the central govt should fully procure every crop for which MSP is announced.