New Delhi, March 27 A parliamentary panel on Friday criticized the Union Ministry of Agriculture for not fixing a minimum support price (MSP) for all organic crops, in addition to traditional crops, to protect the interests of farmers.
The recommendation was made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, in its 17th report, asking the ministry to respond and take action.
Presenting the action taken report in the Rajya Sabha, the ministry informed that the MSP is fixed for 22 commodities and a fair and remunerative price for sugarcane is based on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) at the all-India level.
Rejecting the ministry's response, the committee said, "Organic farming requires extra labor for composting, weeding, and on-farm input preparation, as well as expenses on certification and segregation, which are not adequately covered by conventional MSP calculations."
Fixing the MSP will protect farmers from price risk, compensate them for higher costs and lower initial yields, and make organic and natural farming a viable and scalable production system, it said.
The MSP for organic crops will send a clear, upfront signal that the state will support farmers during the transition period, encouraging more producers to shift to organic farming and making programs like natural farming and Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana more effective in practice.
"The MSP for organic produce is necessary to protect organic farmers from price risk, compensate them for higher costs and lower initial yields, and to make organic and natural farming a viable and scalable production system," the panel added.