Farmers reject Indian government's proposal

 Farmers reject Indian government's proposal

NEW DELHI, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Indian farmers protesting at inter-state borders near Delhi on Monday rejected the federal government's proposal for providing minimum support price (MSP) on five crops.

The farmers said the government's proposal was "not in their interest", and that they will continue with their protests and march towards Delhi.

They said that the government's proposal did not have clarity and that they wanted the MSP on all 23 crops and not just on pulses, maize, and cotton crops.

The federal government and the farmers have held four rounds of talks over the past couple of weeks. The fourth round took place on Sunday where the government put forth a five-year plan involving the purchase of pulses, maize, and cotton crops by government agencies at the MSPs.

The farmers began their march to Delhi last Tuesday. However, they were stopped by police who had heavily barricaded roads and fired tear gas shells to disperse them at the Shambhu border in Haryana, about 200 km from Delhi.

Besides the MSP, the farmers are also demanding pension for farmers and farm-laborers, farm-debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases filed in past agitations, among others.

Source: XinhuaEditor: huaxia2024-02-20

Indian farmers reject support price contract offered by government

AMBALA, India, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Indian farmers' unions have rejected five-year contracts for minimum support prices (MSPs) proposed by the Indian government, one of their leaders said in a video posted on social media platform X on Monday.

Farmers attempt to march to the frontline of a protest, at a site where there are farmers who are marching towards New Delhi to press for the better crop prices promised to them in 2021, at Shambhu barrier, a border between Punjab and Haryana states, India, February 18, 2024. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas Purchase Licensing Rights

The Indian government has offered guaranteed support prices for pulses, corn and cotton in a bid to break a deadlock with protesting farmers, Trade Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday after week-long clashes between security forces and protesters.

Tear gas and barricades were used to deter the farmers, who form an influential voting bloc, months ahead of a general election due by May, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a record third term.

Goyal's comments followed marathon talks with farmers' unions after the protesters, who are demanding higher prices backed by law for nearly two dozen crops, were halted at a distance of about 200 kms (125 miles) from New Delhi.

Goyal said the government had proposed five-year contracts for minimum support prices (MSPs) to farmers who diversify their crops to grow cotton, pigeon peas, black matpe, red lentils and corn, paid by co-operative groups it promotes.

"These organisations will buy the produce and there will be no limit on quantity," Goyal told reporters in the northern city of Chandigarh, adding that a similar price guarantee would also be offered to farmers who diversify and produce cotton.

(Pic:Farmers adjust a poster put up on a signboard on the national highway near the site where farmers, who are marching towards New Delhi to press for the better crop prices promised to them in 2021, gather at Shambhu Barrier, a border crossing between Punjab and Haryana states, 

India, February 19, 2024. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis Purchase Licensing Rights)

The farmers' unions had said they would decide on the proposal within a day or two, after reaching consensus among themselves. But Jagjit Singh Dallewal - one of their leaders - said in a video by Reuters partner ANI that the unions had rejected the proposal.

Farm analysts said the government has completely sidestepped the demands of farmers.

"The government should have at least addressed one of the main demands of a legal guarantee for MSPs," said Devinder Sharma, an independent food and trade policy analyst.

The government's proposed solutions diverge significantly from what the farmers have been advocating for, indicating a lack of seriousness on the government's part regarding the whole issue, Sharma added.

Switching more crops to pulses from rice and wheat that require more water will not only benefit a depleting water table but help cut back on imports of pulses.

The world's biggest importer of pulses, India has struggled to hold back increases in the prices of pigeon peas and black matpe.

Domestic corn demand has also been rising as the poultry and ethanol industries boost consumption.

Police have used tear gas and barricades to stop thousands of farmers, who mainly grow wheat and rice, from marching to New Delhi, to press their demand that the government ensures a minimum price for all their produce.

The government announces support prices for more than 20 crops each year to set a benchmark, but state agencies primarily buy rice and wheat at the support level, benefiting around just 7% of farmers who raise those crops.

Reporting Shilpa Jamkhandikar, Rajendra Jadhav, Mayank Bhardwaj and by Chandni Shah; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Emelia Sithole-Matarise

Farmer leaders reject govt's proposal over MSP, to go ahead with 'Delhi Chalo' march on Feb 21

Amid the ongoing farmers' protest, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha -SKM, on 19 February rejected the proposal by the Union Ministers at Chandigarh to have a five-year contract with farmers to procure 5 crops namely maize, cotton, arhar, tur, massur, and urad at MSP.

Apart from this, the farmers' body also rejected the Union Ministers' proposal for the promotion of crop diversification.

According to the SKM, the Centre proposes to divert and dilute the demand of MSP@C2+50% for all crops with guaranteed procurement which was promised in the BJP Manifesto in the 2014 General Election and originally recommended by the National Farmers Commission chaired by M S Swaminathan and submitted in 2006.

SKM declared that nothing below MSP@C2+50% for all crops with guaranteed procurement is acceptable to the farmers of India. "If the Modi Government is unable to implement the promise made by BJP, then let the Prime Minister be honest to tell that to the people," the official release said.

"The Ministers are not ready to clarify whether the MSP they proposed is based on A2+FL +50% or C2+50%. There is no transparency in the discussion though discussions have taken place four times. This is against the democratic culture established by SKM during the 2020-21 historic Farmers' Struggle at Delhi Borders. During those negotiations, every point of discussions and the stand of farmers were placed for the public information by the SKM," the release added.

SKM sought the Union Ministers to clarify why the Modi government is silent on the demands of loan waiver, no privatisation of electricity, comprehensive public sector crop insurance scheme, Rs.10000 monthly pension to farmers above 60 years age, dismiss and prosecute Ajay Mishra Teni, Union MoS (Home) the main conspirator of Lakhimpur Kheri massacre of farmers among others.

The farmer body has given the call to organise peaceful demonstrations, public meetings, and torchlight processions in the constituencies of MP’s of BJP and NDA across India.

Among others, the body also condemned the BJP-led Haryana state government for unleashing brutal attacks on the farmers agitating on the border and also on the farmer activists within Haryana. It added that the general body meeting of SKM scheduled on 21-22 February will take stock of the situation and will plan future actions to intensify the struggle till all the demands are met.

Haryana to join farmers' protest:

Earlier in the day, farmer leader Gurnam Singh Charuni on 19 February said that Haryana will also join the agitation after 21 February, if the government does not agree to include oilseeds and bajra for procurement.

Apart from grains and wheat, the government agreed to procure pulses, maize, and cotton for procurement.

There is time until 21st February. The government should think and understand that these two things (Oilseeds and Bajra) are very important (for procurement). Just like they mentioned pulses, maize, and cotton, they should include these two crops too. If these two are not included, we will have to think about it again...Yesterday, we took a decision that if the government doesn't agree by 21st February, Haryana too will join the agitation," ANI quoted Gurnam Singh Charuni as saying.

With agency inputs.

Protesting farmers during a tractor rally ITO in New Delhi 2021-ANI