AMARINDER ASKS CENTRE TO HIKE MSP FOR RABI CROPS

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday cleared a proposal seeking increase in the central government’s minimum support price (MSP) of various crops for the 2017-18 rabi season over the MSP during the corresponding period in the previous fiscal.

Disclosing this here, a spokesperson of the chief minister’s office said the state agriculture department had forwarded a detailed proposal to the Commission for Agriculture Costs & Prices (CACP) seeking hike in the MSP of wheat from ₹1,625 per quintal in 2016-17 to ₹2,180 in 2017-18.

Likewise, the agriculture department has also sought a revision in the MSP of barley from ₹1,325 to ₹1,813 per quintal.

The CM has also approved demand for hike in the MSP of gram from ₹3,800 to ₹4,193 per quintal, and of rapeseed and mustard from ₹3,600 to ₹3,960 per quintal.