New Delhi: As the elections in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh are around the corner, the Central Government has hiked the minimum support price (MSP) for six Rabi crops –wheat, gram, pulses, mustard and rapeseed among others – from Rs 100 to Rs 500 a quintal for the marketing season 2023-24.
Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur told media persons on Tuesday that the MSP of wheat was hiked by Rs 110 a quintal, sunflower by Rs 209 a quintal, gram by 105 a quintal and that of barely by Rs 100 a quintal. According to sources, the government fixes minimum prices for cops under the MPS system.
Although the prices of certain crops fall, the Central Government buys those crops from farmers at the MSP so that the farmers do not suffer losses.
Reacting to the hike of a few Rabi crops, the Congress said that the Central Government tried to woo farmers just before the assembly elections in Himachal Pradesh, and there would be many more sops before the Gujarat assembly elections. This was the reason that the Gujarat election dates were not announced on the day when dates for Himachal Pradesh assembly elections were declared, the Congress said. The party said that similar things had happened before the assembly elections in five states including in Uttar Pradesh. The Central Government had withdrawn the three farm bills, against which the farmers were protesting, it said.
