The first meeting of the committee on minimum support price (MSP), headed by former Union Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agrawal, saw discussions on natural farming, changing cropping pattern in the country and to ensure MSP to farmers by making the system more effective and transparent. The Union Agriculture Ministry said deliberations are underway in the panel for “strategy and way forward” on such issues.
The panel also deliberated strategies for making Krishi Vigyan Kendra and other Research and Development institutions as knowledge centres. It also discussed on introducing natural farming system curriculum and skill development course in the universities and other institutions.
“Strategies suggested under crop diversification policy to change the cropping pattern according to the changing needs of the country,” the Ministry said on Twitter. The suggestions include mapping of existing cropping patterns of agro-ecological zones of producer and consumer states. The committee is also learnt to have formed four sub-groups on the three topics, MSP, natural farming and crop diversification. The panel has 26 members, including senior officials of the Centre and State governments.
The Samyukt Kisan Morcha had decided not to send its representatives to the committee. “It is not a committee to legalise the MSP. It is a committee to thwart the MSP. This government is against the MSP,” said SKM leader Rakesh Tikait.
