‘Lack of support price hurts farmers’
Minister Narendra Modi had promised to double the farmers’ income, but they are not even getting fair price for their crops though the BJP-led government is going to complete four years at the Centre, former chief minister Ashok Gehlot said on Tuesday.
“Doubling income is a distant thing,” the AICC general secretary said. “Rajasthan farmers are facing financial difficulties as they are not getting fair price for their produce – gram, mustard, wheat and garlic.”
In the last four years, the BJP government in Rajasthan stopped additional bonus to farmers on purchase of wheat, started by the previous Congress government, Gehlot said. “Our government in 2012-13 for the first time gave ₹100 per quintal bonus to farmers on purchase of wheat; for this, a grant of ₹200 crore was given. In 2013-14, additional bonus of ₹150 per quintal was given on wheat purchase.”
There has been a bumper production of gram in Kota division,
JAIPUR:Prime
which the farmers want to sell on support price, Gehlot said. “In the absence of adequate arrangements to purchase gram on support price, farmers have to sell gram at ₹3,500 per quintal and mustard at ₹3,600 per quintal. The support price of gram is ₹4,400 and of mustard is ₹4,000.”
Farmers who sold moong (green gram) on support price are waiting for payment and making rounds of the Rajasthan state cooperative federation and banks, Gehlot alleged. After Maharashtra, Rajasthan produces maximum onion. “Farmers are in debt and fall in prices of onion and garlic has added to their worry. In view of farmers’ interest, the government should purchase onion on fair price.”