• Randeep Singh Surjewala

1. Modi-Nathan's loot and the Farce of Providing Support Price

The days of the hypocritical and sinful Modi government, which has been robbing Annadata farmers, are now over. It seems that the Modi government was incepted to cheat farmers. The so-called farmer-friendly schemes of the Modi government so far have basically been compartmentalized to benefit only a handful of capitalists. Whether it is the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, whether it is an increase of Rs. 25,000 additional cost of cultivation per hectare, whether it is an ordinance to seize land, or whether it is the affidavit given in the Supreme Court in 2015, which said that if farmers were given support price above 50 percent of the cost, then the market would be ruined. The Modi government is working on the same policy even today. Recently, the announcement of support price of Rabi crops for 2022-23 is also keeping in line with this fraud. Let us know how much support price of Rabi crops has been increased at present and according to the report of the Cost and Price Commission, how much support price the farmers would have got if 50 percent was given above the cost.

Crops MSP for RMS 2022-23 (Modi-Nathan) Cost of Production CACP C2 MSP = Cost+50% (Swaminathan) Wheat 2,015 1,518 2,277 Barley 1,635 1,439 2,158 Gram 5,230 4,117 6,175 Lentil 5,500 4,422 6,633 Rapeseed & Mustard 5,050 3,506 5,259 Sunflower 5,441 5,050 7,575 (Rs./quintal)

Not only this, but also the Modi Government has increased the cost of cultivation by an additional Rs. 25,000 hectares in the last 7 years. By increasing the prices of diesel, pesticides, fertilizers, agricultural equipment, tractor parts etc. and by levying GST from 12 to 28 percent. For example, 1 hectare of wheat yields 3,421 kg. From this viewpoint, the cost of wheat per quintal has increased by additional Rs.730.78. If this cost is also added, the actual support price of wheat should be Rs.2745.78.

2. The truth of a handful of purchases on the support price came to the fore

In the new agricultural laws, the Modi government has allowed a handful of capitalists to hoard unlimited amounts, due to which big traders fiddle with the prices of crops and farmers do not get the right price for the crops. Because the government buys crops from very few farmers at a very limited support price. Recently, on August 03, 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Modi government told in the Lok Sabha that in 2020-21, purchases have been made on support price from 2,10,07,563 farmers, while on the basis of agricultural census, 14,65,00,000 farmers are there in the country. In 2020-21, the crops which the government has bought on support price are as follows:

S. No. Crop Production (MT) Procurement(MT) 1. Moong 24,60,000 20,842.13 2. Groundnut 100,00,000 2,86,041.56 3. Soyabean 1,35,00,000 3.69 4. Sunflower Seed 2,17,000 5,267.08 5. Jowar 47,30,000 1,35,784 6. Bajra 1,02,80,000 3,61,871 7. Ragi 15,80,000 4,74,098 8. Paddy 12,10,00,000 5,85,00,000 9. Wheat 10,80,00,000 3,89,00,000 (Qty. In MT)

It is clear from the above chart that the government buys very limited quantity of food grains from the farmers in comparison to the production.

3. Support Price: Congress vs Modi Government

The Congress government had increased the support price by 205% between 2006-07 to 2013-14. While on the other hand, the Modi government increased only 48 percent in paddy and only 43 percent in wheat. It is clear from this that the Congress government had been highly sensitive towards farmers, while the Modi government is ready to dupe farmers and hand them over to capitalists.

Crop 2006-2007 2013-2014 Change 2021-22 Change Paddy (Common) 580 1,310 126% 1,940 48% Wheat 750 1,400 87% 2,015 43.92% Gram 1,445 3,100 115% 5,203 68% Tur (Arhar) 1,410 4,300 205% 6,300 46% Maize 540 1,310 143% 1,870 42% Masoor 1,545 2,950 90% 5,500 86%

(Rate Rs. Per quintal)

The farmer wants the price of his hard work instead of Modi-Nathan. If the Modi government does not stop conspiring against Annadata, then the BJP will never be forgiven by posterity.

Statement issued on September 09, 2021