Bathinda (Gurpreet Singh): The Centre’s decision to raise the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat by ₹25 per quintal has failed to satisfy sections of Punjab’s farming community, with farmer leaders arguing that the increase does little to ease the financial pressure faced by cultivators.
Leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) criticised the announcement, saying the additional amount does not adequately reflect the rising expenses involved in farming. State president Joginder Singh Ugrahan, senior vice-president Jhanda Singh Jethuke and state secretary Singara Singh Mann described the hike as a “bitter joke” for farmers.
According to the leaders, expenses on fertilisers, farm inputs and other essentials have climbed considerably, leaving farmers and agricultural workers under increasing economic strain. They argued that a modest increase in the crop’s support price could further complicate efforts by indebted farmers to manage their household and cultivation costs.
Farmers raise concerns over imports
The union leaders also linked their concerns to the broader agricultural policy environment, including the implementation of the India-US trade agreement. They expressed apprehension that greater access for American farm products could increase competition for domestic producers and put additional pressure on agricultural markets.
They further questioned the Centre’s response to Punjab’s economic concerns, particularly during recent visits to the state by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The farmer organisation alleged that the visits did not result in an economic package addressing what it considers the pressing financial difficulties confronting Punjab’s agricultural sector.
Demand for C2+50% formula
Instead of the ₹25 increase, the BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) leaders reiterated their demand that wheat MSP should be calculated using the C2+50% formula. The formula factors in a broader measure of cultivation costs before adding a 50 per cent margin.
The farmers also renewed their call for a legal guarantee of government procurement, arguing that an assured procurement mechanism is essential to provide cultivators greater income security.
Push to strengthen food distribution system
Beyond MSP, the farmer leaders raised demands concerning food security. They called for strengthening the Public Distribution System (PDS) so that economically weaker households can access foodgrains either free of cost or at affordable prices.
They also sought the creation and expansion of dedicated storage capacity for wheat under the public distribution framework, saying adequate storage would be important for maintaining reliable s
