New Delhi, April 25, 2015: Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today urged the Centre Government to declare Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops like maize, pulses, cotton, guar etc, in order to encourage farmers for diversification of crops.
The Chief Minister was speaking in the 27th meeting of Northern Zonal Council at New Delhi which was presided over by the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
He said, “The demand for declaring Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops other than wheat, paddy, sugarcane, etc., originates from the need to shift cultivated areas away from highly water consuming crops to other crops like maize, pulses, cotton, guar, etc., and also from the basic need for diversification to other crops. Farmers of my state are quite progressive and are willing to adopt new crops provided their income per unit area is at least secured, if not enhanced. Efficient procurement machinery for various other crops like maize, pulses, guar in the context of Haryana and several such crops in the context of other States along with a remunerative MSP and assured procurement are necessary to achieve the intended objectives”.
He also urged to set up a National Level Committee having experts from the field of agriculture as well as chemicals and fertilizers along with representatives of State Government to find out long term solution to the issue of prices of fertilizers like DAP. The price of DAP has increased in a much higher proportion as compared that of urea. As a result, the farmers are tempted to use more urea and less DAP, which has an adverse impact not only on productivity, but also on the soil health. He also asked the union government not to change the existing norms of reimbursement of ‘actual’ freight charges by ‘fixed’ freight charges of Urea, irrespective of the distance between the processing plants or ports and unloading rake points.
The Chief Minister also requested the Zonal Council to impress upon Govt. of India for providing funds to the extent of Rs. 600 crores out of estimated cost of Rs. 1,500 crores for setting up of an India International Horticulture Market at Ganaur in Sonipat for facilitating storage, marketing and export of fruits, flowers and vegetables. This market would perhaps be the largest Terminal Market Complex in the region catering to whole of North India. This would facilitate real time marketing of produce and would also help in realisation of better prices for the farmers, he adde
He also informed that Haryana has established a Centre of excellence for vegetable crops at Gharaunda in Karnal with cooperation of Israel. It would focus on Technological innovations in the fields of Poly houses, Shed Nets, Drip Irrigation and Micro Sprinklers. “We have also established a Centre of excellence for fruits at Mangiana in Sirsa for developing latest technologies of high density plantation, canopy plantation and fertilization”, he added. / (SK Vyas, Jalandhar)