Eight months after announcing the repeal of farm laws, the Centre has set up a 29-member committee, as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that will look into how to make the minimum support price (MSP) more effective and transparent. Besides, it will also suggest measures to promote zero-budget natural farming and crop diversification to fulfil the changing needs of the country.

In a notification dated July 12 but posted on the website on Monday, the agriculture ministry said the panel, to be headed by former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agrawal, will suggest “to make available MSP to farmers of the country by making the system more effective and transparent.” However, there is no mention about the tenure of the panel by which it should submit the report.

Farmers’ unions had ended the year-long protest against three farm laws after their withdrawal and had demanded a legal guarantee for MSP. The panel will study the practicality of giving more autonomy to the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and suggest measures to make it more scientific. Other task of the panel includes reforms in Agricultural Marketing System to ensure higher value to farmers for their produce.

The panel will also suggest programmes and schemes for value chain development and for area expansion under the Indian Natural Farming System. Besides, mapping of existing cropping patterns in agro-ecological zones of producer and consumer States will be done separately so that a system is worked out to ensure remunerative prices for the sale of diversified crops.

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