As farmers protest, MSP panel forms 4 sub-groups

New Delhi: The day farmers returned to Delhi to protest over the guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) among other issues, the committee formed by the Union government on MSP formed four sub-groups on mandated topics in its first meeting on Monday.

However, Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), under whose banner the year-long farmers' movement was waged against the three withdrawn farm laws, was absent from the meeting.

Meanwhile, thousands of farmers gathered at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Monday to press for their demands on MSP and other issues under the banner of SKM (non-political), a breakaway faction of the SKM that waged the yearlong farmers' protests.

"This is a daylong peaceful event where we will reiterate our demands such as a legal guarantee on the MSP and the cancellation of the Electricity (Amendment) Bill, 2022 among others," said Abhimanyu Singh Kohar, an SKM member and one of the organisers of the "mahapanchayat".

Among the mandates of the four groups formed by the MSP committee would be to make "MSP more effective and transparent". The committee is headed by former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agrawal and has 26 members, including the chairman. Three slots are reserved for SKM representatives. At its meeting, the committee discussed ways 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".

"After day-long deliberations, the committee decided to form four sub-groups or committees on three mandated topics," the committee member Binod Anand said.

Anand, who is holding the charge of general secretary at farmers' group CNRI, described the working of the four groups:

The first group will study Himalayan states as well as the cropping pattern and crop diversification and how to ensure MSP support in those states.

The second group on micro irrigation —to be headed by Sukhpal Singh from IIM-Ahmedabad— will study how to make micro-irrigation farmer-centric. Currently, micro irrigation is driven by government subsidies and the group will examine how to generate farmers demand for this, he said.

The third group —led by a representative of National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management— will study 'zero budget based farming', including organic and natural farming methods, and generate consensus of farmers.

The fourth group —to be led by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)— along with Hyderabad-based Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA) and Nagpur-based National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (NBSSLUP) and one more institute will study the crop diversification and cropping pattern across the country and submit a background report, he added.

"The four groups will hold separate meetings and the committee's final meeting will be held in September-end," Anand said.

He said that SKM representatives were not present in the day-long meeting. Niti Aayog member Ramesh was also not present due to other engagements.

SKM has already rejected this committee and has decided not to nominate its representatives.

While announcing the repeal of three farm laws in November last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to set up a committee to look into farmers' MSP issues.

Other members who attended the meeting included agri-economists CSC Shekhar from Indian Institute of Economic Development, Sukhpal Singh from IIM-Ahmedabad, and Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) senior member Naveen P Singh.

Among farmer representatives who attended the meeting were National award-winning farmer Bharat Bhushan Tyagi as well as Gunwant Patil, Krishnaveer Choudhary, Pramod Kumar Choudhary, Guni Prakash and Sayyed Pasha Patel. IFFCO chairman Dilip Sanghani was present.

Senior members of agricultural universities, central government secretaries and chief secretaries of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha were also present in the meeting.