It's a great decision in hiking MSP of Kharif crop : Radha Mohan Singh

| | Lucknow | in Lucknow

Assuring `achche din’ for farmers, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare minister Radha Mohan Singh said that the decision to increase MSP of Kharif crop was a historic one and the decision would help in ushering better future for farmers.

“The BJP government is committed to improving farmers’ income. It is working systematically which includes increasing production, reducing farm expense and strengthening post-harvest management. If these systems can be synchronized, the income of farmers will increase,” Singh said at a felicitation function held in Lucknow on Thursday.

The Union minister said that the Modi government has given a clarion call to double farmers’ income by 2022 and this was a right step in that direction. 

“Modi government does not have a magic wand with which it can improve farmers’ condition overnight. Systematic steps need to be taken and this government has taken many decisions which are in favour of farmers. The government is working on different market structures and setting up of Rural Agriculture Market is one of them,” the minister said.

Singh also spoke about government plans to force farmers to adopt diversification which included horticulture and rearing live stocks.

“The government announced anything between 30 and 50 per cent increase in MSP for pulses. This will increase cultivation area of pulses and help India overcome nutrition insecurity, improve soil fertility by nitrogen fixation and provide income to farmers. Further enhanced MSPs would boost production of oilseeds and encourage investment in its productivity and help reduce India’s import bill,” he said. 

The Union minister added, “Increase in MSPs of nutri-cereals will improve nutritional security and allow farmers to get higher prices,” Singh said. 

In his address, UP Agriculture minister Surya Pratap Shahi said, “The decision to increase MSP of Kharif crop will bring happiness in the families of farmers and improve their quality of life. This is a major decision taken by the Modi government,” he said.

Earlier, leaders from Lucknow unit of BJP felicitated the Union minister and thanked him for increasing MSP of Kharif.