Food Ministry not in favour of accepting CACP’s recommendation for hike in paddy MSP

17 May 2011 Evaluate

The Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP), which suggests minimum support price (MSP) of 40 agri-commodities, has recommended support price for paddy (common grade) at Rs 1,080 a quintal and on top of it a bonus of Rs 80 a quintal for the 2011-12 crop year (July-June). Though, the Food Ministry is in favour of the paddy MSP of Rs 1,080 a quintal but not a bonus of Rs 80 a quintal as it may cause pressure on food inflation. The ministry is also of the view that higher paddy MSP will increase government’s subsidy burden. Meanwhile, the Agriculture Ministry has been reported to have recommended paddy MSP of Rs 1,160 a quintal excluding the bonus part, in line with CACP.

But putting its point, the CACP has argued that higher paddy MSP is necessary as cost of production has risen by 20 per cent in last one year. The country’s rice output cannot be enhanced to meet demand of the proposed National Food Security Act unless farmers are paid remunerative price, it noted.

Earlier, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Kiran Kumar Reddy requested the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution to increase MSP to paddy by at least Rs 200 per quintal and grant permission for export of 25 lakh metric tonnes of rice (15 lakh tonnes of boiled rice and 10 lakh tonnes of raw rice) to other countries.

The Union Government will soon take a “favourable” decision on increasing minimum support price (MSP) for paddy, according to Prof K V Thomas, Minister of State for Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution.

Recently, central government decided to provide Rs 50 per quintal bonus on wheat to the farmers over Rs 1,120 minimum support price. Though, the agriculture ministry had long been in favour of a bonus, the food and consumer affairs department was averse of a bonus for wheat too citing that at this juncture it could fuel food inflation and inflate the food subsidy bill as procurement was expected to be good in 2010-2011.

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