Former agri secretary Sanjay Agrawal to head panel on MSP, natural farming

The Government of India on July 18 constituted a committee on minimum support price (MSP) with former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal as its chairman.

• The committee would also include NITI Aayog’s Ramesh Chand as a member along with other agricultural scientists and representatives of farmers.

• The panel has three unfilled posts for representatives of the SKM, which will be filled as and when the Centre receives the recommendations from the umbrella body of farmers.

Background

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said while announcing the decision to repeal the three farm laws that a committee will be constituted to promote zero budget-based farming, to change crop patterns keeping in mind the changing needs of the country, and to make MSP more effective and transparent.

• He had said the committee will consist of representatives of the Central and State governments, farmers, agricultural scientists and agricultural economists.

Committee mandate

• The Agriculture Ministry issued a gazette notification announcing the setting up of a committee in this regard.

• According to the notification, the committee will look at ways to make available MSP to farmers by making the system more effective and transparent.

• The committee will give its suggestions to make the farm advisory body Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP) independent and also give its suggestions on zero-budget farming.

• Zero-Budget Natural Farming, as the name implies, is a method of farming where the cost of growing and harvesting plants is zero.

• The panel will look at ways to strengthen the Agricultural Marketing System as per the changing requirements of the country to ensure higher value to the farmers through remunerative prices of their produce by taking advantage of the domestic and export opportunities.

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