New Delhi: The march of Indian farmers from states surrounding Delhi towards the capital has been temporarily suspended following the Union government’s proposition of a five-year plan to purchase pulses, maize, and cotton crops from them at the minimum support price (MSP).
The fourth round of talks between leaders of the protesting farmers and the Union government in Chandigarh concluded late on Sunday.
The farmers engaged in the protest have requested two days to deliberate on the government’s proposal within their forums, while decisions on their other primary demands are pending. MSP, serving as a safeguard against sharp declines in crop prices, is a fixed price set by the government to protect farmers from losses.
Union Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal, addressing reporters after the meeting, stated, “Cooperative societies like the NCCF and Nafed will contract with farmers who grow tur dal, urad dal, masoor dal, or maize to buy their crop at MSP for the next five years.”
He added, “Cereals like arhar or tur, urad, if brought under MSP, would lead to a reduction in imports, recover the depleted water level of Punjab, as well as provide economic pulses for consumers.”
Under this proposal, the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd will enter into contracts with farmers for the next five years, with no limit on the buying quantity. Goyal also conveyed that the farmers are urging for maize and cotton to be included under MSP.
“For cotton, the Cotton Corporation of India will procure the entire crop on MSP, and farmer leaders will convey their decision regarding the proposal by Monday morning,” informed Goyal. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also participated in the talks, which began at 8.15 pm on Sunday and concluded around 1 am on Monday.
The ongoing ‘Delhi Chalo’ march involves thousands of farmers from over 200 farm unions associated with the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM). Commencing on February 13, the protest seeks to address various demands, including a state-guaranteed minimum price for 23 crops, a loan waiver, social security benefits, and a revamp of the crop insurance scheme.
The farmers are also advocating for higher duties on imported agricultural produce to counteract lower farmgate prices resulting from duty-free imports. The latest protests come in the wake of muted farm earnings, export curbs on certain commodities, and climate-related challenges affecting farm incomes over the past year. On the fifth day of their march on Sunday, the farmers remained stationed at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border.
