Farmers demand guaranteed MSP amid limited Govt procurement
Farmers demand guaranteed MSP amid limited Govt procurement
Ferozepur, July 28, 2024: Sarwan Singh Pandher, a prominent farmer leader representing the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, has expressed concern over the limited government procurement of agricultural produce at Minimum Support Price (MSP). According to statistics from the Agriculture Ministry, only 18% of wheat, 50% of paddy, 0.43% of pulses, and small percentages of other crops like toria, sarson oil, jowar, and bajra are being purchased at MSP.
Pandher highlighted this as a key issue driving on going protests by farmers under the banners of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee and Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) (Non-Political). These groups have been protesting at the Shambhu border for the past 165 days, demanding a legal guarantee for MSP.
Farmer leaders, including Tajveer Singh, Mahesh Choudhary, and Sarvan Singh Pandher, have announced a series of upcoming actions to intensify their agitation:
August 1: Burning copies of the new criminal laws and demonstrating at district headquarters.
August 15: A nationwide tractor march to Delhi, urging farmers to gather at the borders, including Sanghu and Shambhu.
August 21: Commemorating 200 days of the Farmers’ Movement 2.0.
August 31: Marking 200 days of protest at the Shambhu border.
September 15 and 22: Farmers’ rallies in Jind and Pipli, Haryana.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions across India, and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) have called for an intensified agitation for the acceptance of their demands, including a law guaranteeing MSP for various crops. This decision was made during a joint conference in Delhi, attended by over 150 leaders from various organizations nationwide.
Pandher urged farmers to prepare for the planned actions, emphasizing the need to press the central government for a resolution to the long-standing issues faced by the agricultural sector.
