• Randeep Singh Surjewala

In the last 11 years, the Modi government has ‘ambushed’ the farmers and agriculture. The interests of farmers are just a ‘business’ of slogans, ‘announcements’ of promises, ‘heaps’ of schemes and ‘distress’ among farmers.

This is the truth. MSP has now become ‘Maximum Suffering for Producers’, and the name of MSP should be changed to this. C2+50 percent, which was the recommendation of the Swaminathan Commission, which Modi Ji has allegedly implemented, has now become ‘Jumla Nathan’. In 11 years, a false payment of the support price announcement is being made.

Modi Ji should say that he rejects the Swaminathan report, but he is saying that he will implement the Swaminathan report and he has also given an affidavit in the Supreme Court. That report went to the government only when the Swaminathan Commission came.

The Modi government has given an affidavit and told that during the UPA government, 110 recommendations out of the 150 or 160 recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission were implemented. BJP has given this affidavit in the Supreme Court about our government. They have given an affidavit and said that C2 + 50 percent, that is, ‘50 percent profit on cost’ cannot be given to the farmers because it will spoil the market prices. Modi Ji is more concerned about trade... as Trump sahab also said... now because of trade, ceasefire happens between India and Pakistan even when our army is winning... so how will the farmer get the right price for the crop. For them, trade comes first... this is the reality of BJP.

Modi government does not buy any crop at MSP except wheat and paddy. So, even if one keeps announcing MSP, if you don’t want to buy anything, then what meaning does it hold? The government has published big columns in newspapers and published advertisements that they have given very high MSP and Modi Ji has done something amazing. It is written in it that the price of paddy which is bought the most has increased from Rs. 2,300 to Rs. 2,369. Modi Ji, what is the inflation rate in this country today - it is 6 percent. So 6 percent of Rs. 2,300 is Rs. 138. So if you had to maintain the last year’s rates, then it should be Rs. 2,300 + Rs. 138, i.e. Rs. 2,438 per quintal. Don’t give new rates, just give according to inflation because, on one hand there is inflation, on the other hand you are increasing the prices of diesel. Thirdly, you are increasing the price of electricity. Fourthly, you are increasing the price of seeds and fifthly, you have cut the subsidy on fertilizers, Rs. 24 thousand crores. In 23-24, this subsidy was Rs. 1 lakh 88 thousand crores. This year in the budget of 2024-25, the subsidy is Rs. 1 lakh 64 thousand crores. So that Rs. 24 thousand crores will also have to come from the farmer’s pocket.

1) MSP became a ‘Maximum Suffering for Producers’! ‘C2+50%’ - Swaminathan Commission’s promise became a Jumlanathan! For 11 years, ‘false payment’ is being made of the announcement of support price. C2+50% (C2 = Input Cost + Family Labour + Land Rent) + 50% profit is nowhere to be seen. Let us know the hair-raising white lie of Modi government’s announcement of support price in crop season 2025-26. Minimum Support Prices for all Kharif crops for Marketing Season 2025-26 (Table Below) (Rs. /quintal)

Crops MSP (2025-26) C2+50% (MSP 2025-26, Swaminathan) Loss to Farmers (Difference between Swaminathan & Modinathan) Suggested MSP by States Paddy 2,369 3,135 766 Bihar – 3,260 Gujarat – 3,000 Maharashtra – 4,783 Jowar 3,699 4,809 1,110 Maharashtra – 4,788 Karnataka – 7,848 Bajra 2,775 3,314 539 Gujarat – 3,500 Maharashtra – 4,658 Ragi 4,886 5,964 1078 Karnataka -9,581 Maize 2,400 2,928 528 Gujarat - 4,550 Bihar – 3,220 Tur/Arhar 8,000 10,259 2,259 Gujarat – 9,100 A.P. – 10,823 Moong 8,768 11,214 2,446 Gujarat – 9,700 Maharashtra – 12,146 Tamil Nadu – 12,280 Urad 7,800 10,244 2,444 Maharashtra – 11,753 Gujarat – 9,500 Groundnut 7,263 9,071 1,808 Maharashtra – 11,817 Gujarat – 8,600 Sunflower Seed 7,721 9,546 1,825 Andhra Pradesh – 9,502 Karnataka – 16,139 Soybean 5,328 6,957 1,629 Maharashtra – 7,077 Telangana – 7,733 Sesamum 9,846 12,948 3,102 Gujarat – 12,000 A.P. – 10,998 Nigerseed 9,537 12,038 2,501 Cotton 7,710 10,076 2,366 Gujarat – 10,500 Maharashtra – 10,579 Punjab – 12,201

2) MSP is announced, but crops are not purchased at MSP!

The crop purchase data for the year 2023-24 is now public. Let us know its blatant lie:

Crop production (in lakh tonnes) Crop procurement at MSP (in lakh tonnes) Percentage of crop procurement at MSP compared to total production Wheat 1129.25 262.02 23.20 percent Paddy 1378.25 782 56.73 percent Barley 16.53 00 00 percent Jowar 47.37 3.23 6.81 percent Maize 376.65 0.05 0.01 percent Bajra 107.16 6.96 6.49 percent Ragi 16.70 2.31 13.83 percent Gram 115.76 0.43 0.37 percent Masoor 17.54 2.47 14.08 percent Mustard 131.61 12.09 9.19 percent Safflower 0.51 00 00 percent

3) Increase in MSP, not even as per ‘inflation rate’! It is clear from the above chart that half of the purchases at MSP are of paddy crop only. There is a lot of applause that the MSP of paddy crop has been increased from Rs. 2300 per quintal to Rs. 2369 per quintal. The inflation rate is 6%, which comes to Rs. 138 per quintal. That is, if the MSP of paddy of last year is to be maintained, then the MSP should be Rs. 2438 per quintal (2300+138). 4) Neither was legal guarantee of MSP given, nor was tax removed from farming: The 69th report of the Standing Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare revealed that the Ministry of Agriculture has been continuously telling the Modi government since 2017 that GST should be reduced or removed on machines used in farming, agricultural equipment, tractors, power tillers, harvesters etc. But the Modi government has turned deaf ears. The Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended giving farmers the legal right to Minimum Support Price (MSP). This report was presented in the Lok Sabha on 17 December 2024. This recommendation has been made with the aim of stabilizing the income of farmers, reducing the rate of suicides and improving the agriculture sector. 5) Rs. 3 lakh crore was not spent on 6 major schemes related to agriculture - The DNA of the government itself is anti-farmer. (Table Below)

Name of Scheme Budgetary Allocation (in ₹ crore) Amount Spent (in ₹ crore) Unspent Amount (in ₹ crore) Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (subsumed 3 crop insurance schemes in FY 2016-17) 1,22,050 (2014-24) 88,635 33,415 (28%) Interest Subsidy for Short Term Credit to Farmers (name changed to Modified Interest Subvention Scheme in FY 2022-23) 1,68,743 (2016-24) 1,11,423 57,320 (34%) PM KISAN (introduced in FY 2019-20) 4,03,000 (2019-24) 2,34,783 1,68,217 (42%) PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana* (name changed from National Mission on Micro Irrigation in FY 2015-16) 23,040 (2014-21) 16,342 6,698 (29%) Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana** (subsumed 5 more schemes in FY 2022-23) 54,543 (2015-24) 27,385 27,158 (50%) National Horticulture Mission (name changed to Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture in FY 2014-15 and National Mission on Horticulture in FY 2016-17) 19,478 (2014-22) 14,108 5,370 (22%) Total 7,90,854 4,92,676 (62.29%) 2,98,178 (38%)

*In FY 2022-23, it was merged with the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana along with other schemes,namely - Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojna, National Project on Soil and Health Fertility, Rainfed Area Development and Climate Change, and Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanization including Management of Crop Residue, etc.

**Before FY 2022-23, the total amount allocated and utilized from 2015-16 to 2021-22 was Rs. 29,407 crore and Rs. 22,138 crore respectively. Then the scheme was expanded to subsume other schemes, hence the corresponding amount came to be inflated.

There is an Agriculture Standing Committee of the Parliament. The Standing Committee said two things. One – make a law for MSP guarantee. Our second recommendation was that the GST rate on fertilizers is 5 percent, on pesticides it is 18 percent, on tractors it is 12 percent, on tractor tyres and other goods it is 18 percent. Remove this GST, remove tax from farming, stop levying tax on agricultural equipment. The Prime Minister took that report and threw it in the waste basket. Congress’ demand is that there should be a legal guarantee for MSP. But today I did not bring that in front of you. Yesterday when the cabinet announced MSP, they boasted a lot, patted their backs, said - clap, we have done a great job... That amazing thing is ‘Maximum Suffering for Producers’. I have placed that amazing reality before you that the government is only paying homage to lies and is forcing the farmer to shed tears of blood. You are not even giving them the cost of their crop and the Prime Minister of the country should answer this to more than 70 crore people.

The author is Member of Parliament and General Secretary of Indian National Congress Based on the Press Briefing