Punjab farmers slam hike in wheat MSP, say ‘rubbing salt on our wounds’

Farmers in Punjab slammed the announcement of Rs 110 per quintal hike in wheat MSP. (Representational Image)

FARMERS HAVE slammed the announcement of Rs 110 per quintal hike in wheat MSP, calling it a meagre increase considering the increasing prices of diesel, bringing fertilizers and pesticides under GST regime and classifying tractor, which is used for farming purposes, a commercial vehicle. “It is like rubbing salt on the wounds of the farmers. This hike is nominal. Diesel prices have increased more than 10 per cent in the past year, and fertilisers and pesticides were brought from zero to 12 per cent GST slab,” said Jagmohan Singh, general secretary of Bhartiya Kisan Union (BKU) Dakunda unit.

He said with tractor being classified as commercial vehicle, a farmer needs to pay at least Rs 30,000 tax on tractor every year. Punjab owns around 18 per cent of the total number of tractors in the country which is also the highest in any state. “All sorts of farm machinery has been brought under the GST and now government is giving just Rs 110 hike in MSP per quintal which is not acceptable to us,” said Ram Singh, a member of Kirti Kisan Union.

Jagmohan Singh said they would protest at Parliament Street from November 20-22 and submit memorandums to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding to implement Dr Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations. Earlier, fertilizers and pesticides were free from any taxes and with the imposing of tax means that farmers will have to spend nearly Rs 500 crore more annually which would be a big burden on farming of state as production cost, he claimed.