Mumbai : The Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices should set up similar panels in each state to get their inputs which would ensure that minimum support prices for various crops are “reasonable”, government officials said, after a meeting late on Tuesday to discuss issues before fixing support prices for 2018 kharif crops.
The meeting was organised by the commission on Tuesday, and was attended by various ministers in Maharashtra, top farm officials of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan and representatives from agricultural universities in Maharashtra, reports Cogencis.
“Maharashtra has formed it (farm price panel). Madhya Pradesh, Haryana will soon have it. We have demanded the central commission to take initiative in setting up such panels in all states,” Pasha Patel, chairman of the Maharashtra Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices said. As of now, states send their recommendations for support prices, which are not mirrored in the MSP, Patel said, adding that having a panel in each state can help arrive at a “reasonable” MSP.
Maharashtra farm minister Pandurang Fundkar said the government must involve farmers’ representatives in determining support prices.
The commission said all recommendations cannot always be taken on board while fixing the support prices because of India’s commitments to the World Trade Organisation guidelines and various factors that impact the cost of cultivation in different regions.
