The Hindu Business Line : Prices of agri commodities in AP well above MSP

THE prevailing prices of paddy, jowar, bajra, pulses, oilseeds, groundnut and soyabean in various markets across Andhra Pradesh are higher than the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the Union Government for the year 2004-05.

On the other hand, the market prices of cotton and niger seed are less than the MSP, according to a statement tabled by the State Agriculture Minister, Mr. N. Raghuveera Reddy, in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday.

Mr Reddy stated that the average market price of Grade-A paddy currently ranged between Rs 602 and Rs 710 per quintal (qtl) against the MSP of Rs 590. Similarly, the maximum market price per quintal of jowar stood at Rs 551 (MSP Rs 515), bajra Rs 520 (Rs 515), maize Rs 540 (Rs 525) and ragi Rs 518 (Rs 515).

With regard to the existing prices of pulses, the Minister stated that the maximum price per quintal of tur stood at Rs 1,586 (MSP Rs 1,390), moong Rs 1,710 (Rs 1,410) and urad Rs 1,750 (Rs 1,713).

Coming to the prices of oilseeds, he said that the maximum price per quintal of groundnut was now prevailing at Rs 1,825 (MSP Rs 1,500), yellow soyabean Rs 1,100 (Rs 1,000), black soyabean Rs 950 (Rs 900), sunflower seed Rs 1,683 (Rs 1,340), sesamum Rs 2,300 (Rs 1,500) and niger seed Rs 900 (Rs 1,180).

Due to increase in the production of cotton from 24 lakh bales last year to around 33 lakh bales in the current year, Mr Reddy said that prices have dropped below the MSP. However, to mitigate the plight of farmers, the Cotton Corporation of India had opened 66 purchase centres in the State and purchased 5.57 lakh tonnes of cotton as against the purchase of only 1-lakh tonnes last year.

With the Union Government accepting the major demand of rice millers to increase the levy rice from 50 per cent to 75 per cent, the Minister stated that the prevailing price of paddy stood above the MSP.

Though chillies would not come under the purview of MSP, he said that the Chief Minister, Dr Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, had sought the intervention of NAFED to arrest the fall in prices.

Earlier, taking part in the short discussion on the prevailing prices of agricultural commodities in the State, Telugu Desam Party member, Mr E. Dayakar Rao, alleged that Cotton Corporation had purchased cotton mostly from middlemen rather than farmers. This had resulted in a loss of Rs 260 crore to farmers.

Deploring that nearly 2,500 farmers have committed suicide since the Congress Government came to power in the State last year, Mr Rao demanded that the Government should take immediate measures to ensure remunerative prices to agriculturists.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Delay in procurement of paddy — Achuthanandan to launch indefinite fast next week

Govt slaps safeguard duty on tapioca starch

Canara Bank to expand commodities exposure

Pala Marketing Society to expand block rubber capacity

Rubber prices rally on short-covering

Tea industry may save on levy cut

Upasi plea to do away with division of lots in e-auction

`Gold fund cost-effective saving'

Low cotton prices spur consumption

Vegoil market awaiting clear direction

Cashew exports may top Rs 2,500 crore

Prices of agri commodities in AP well above MSP