MSP And Quality Of Food Grain
By A Special Correspondent
First publised on 2022-01-12 03:50:27
About the Author
Do the farmers want to use their clout and bargaining power to do whatever they want? They are now protesting new rules which prescribe that the food grains purchased by the government under minimum support price (MSP) will have to meet certain standards. The Opposition, mainly the Congress, is doing a disservice to the nation by egging them on.
The draft rules prescribe new standards for moisture content, limit of foreign matter, damaged and discoloured grains and broken and shriveled grains. For wheat, moisture content will now have to be within 12%(14% earlier), foreign matter within 0.5%(0.75), damaged grains within 2%(4%) and broken and shriveled grain within 4%(6%). Similar adjustments have been prescribed for paddy and rice.
The farmers say this administrative fiat is just a ruse to deny them MSP since the farm laws had failed. The government says that it cannot be expected to buy sub-standard grains at MSP. Economic sense also dictates that not all grains be purchased at MSP. Sellers must adhere to quality control and expect better price for better quality. Further, it will also act as a disincentive for those who produce better quality if sub-standard grains are purchased at the same price.
The farmers have to realize that the MSP is a shield for them to escape the vagaries of the open market and possible domination by unscrupulous traders who can form a cartel to subdue prices and cheat farmers. It is not a mechanism through which they can grow sub standard products and dump them on the government. In fact, it makes sense to have a MSP system where global standard produce is procured.
Although the farmers have lodged their protest, the government has said that these are draft rules and it will move forward on this proposal only after a consensus emerges among states on this issue. In a meeting chaired by the FCI chairman, state food secretaries were asked to get concerned state departments in charge of procurement to engage farmers, millers, and other stakeholders in a discussion at the state level on proposed new norms of procurement. Some states have submitted several important suggestions. Hence, the issue should not be politicized.
picture courtesy:financialexpress.com
