In a novel protest, farmers of Krishna-Godavari Delta farmers have calculated and announced cost of paddy cultivation and MSP (minimum support price) they seek for the procurement season that begins later this year.
Farmers of several villages have met in Bheemavaram in West Godavari district on Monday to take stock of crop holiday being observed in this part of the State and find solutions to end the crisis. They turned down the MSP announced by the Union Government and come out with their own, saying it was not at all remunerative.
They have demanded that they require at least Rs 2,042.25 a quintal as MSP as against Rs 1,100 announced by the Government. They made a resolution to review the MSP requirement every six months.
“What they had announced was based on dated figures. They relied on three-year-old data. This is not at all sufficient to meet cost of production,” Mr P. Chengal Reddy, Secretary-General of Confederation of Indian Farmers Associations (CIFA), told
“We are going to meet Dr Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister, and Chairman of CACP (Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices) in the next few weeks to convince them about the need to change the way MSP is calculated. They have to adhere to the recommendations of Swaminathan Committee,” he said.
Farmers have also resolved to take the support of MPs and MLAs in their campaign for higher MSP.
Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Government has asked the District Collector of East Godavari and other officials concerned to enumerate labour who required employment in the crop holiday areas.
Officials have informed the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, that farmers were trying to reschedule their cropping pattern to avoid likely cyclones in November.
“They are planning to go for early rabi and expect early release of water for next kharif, most probably by May 15, 2012,” a Government release said.