Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will write a letter to the Centre seeking a 15 per cent hike in the minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural products announced last week, according to Minister for Agriculture Krishna Byregowda.
Speaking with media persons here on Friday, Byregowda said the Central Government should have increased the MSP for agricultural products to help the farmers who are in distress.
“UPA government and previous governments have hiked the MSP by 15 per cent on an average while fixing the price but it was hiked only by 5 per cent during the last three years. The Central Government has not taken the production cost, inflation while fixing the MSP. Farmers will lose one per cent income if the Centre hikes only 5 per cent when the rate of inflation is six per cent,’’ Byregowda said.
He said the hike in the MSP will increase the prices of agricultural products in the market. “Farmers in Karnataka will not be benefited since the Centre has already announced the hike of five per cent in the MSP,’’ he said.
Stating that state government has been intervening whenever there is a slump in agricultural products’ prices, he said the state government expected to receive Rs 1200 crore relief for crop loss in rabi season but the Centre released only Rs 795 crore. “The state government disburse the relief amount to the farmers as soon as the Centre releases the funds,’’ he said.
Priority for millets
The minister said the state government will form 393 village clusters to increase the production of millet in the state. “The state government has allocated Rs 34 crore for this programme. The government will release Rs 2,00 per hectare as an incentive to the farmers for growing millet crops,’’ he said.
