MSP hike cannot be state specific: Union Agriculture Minister

Bhubaneswar: Hike in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of crop cannot be a mean to increase the income of farmers, said Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Saturday.

While speaking during OTV’s annual convention Foresight 2018 in Bhubaneswar, the Union Minister added, “Hike of the MSP cannot be State specific. The move cannot be a solution to increase income of farmers as input costs are also going up proportionately every year.”

Though Odisha government has been demanding for a hike in paddy MSP to increase the income of farmers, the Centre has been rejecting such proposals.

The Union Minister said reducing the input costs can be the way to lessen burden on farmers. “Apart from this, income of farmers can be increased by providing right quality seed and input subsidy,” he said.

On spread of brown plant hopper in Odisha, the Union Minister stated that the farmers here were hit by the pest menace as they were unable to get the right consultation.

“The Thaimate pesticide, which famers used, provided fodder to the brown plant hopper pest thereby causing greater damage to crop last year,” said the Union Minister while speaking on the topic ‘Mission 2022: The key implications of MSP, threats & opportunities’ at the convention.