Farmers' protest: Why agitators rejected Centre's MSP proposal

Chandigarh: The Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), which is leading the farmers' protest in North India, has rejected the central government's reported proposal for 5- year contracts on Minimum Support Price (MSP) for five food crops.

An SKM spokesperson said based on the media report, they have come to know that the central government is planning to bring an ordinance on MSP proposing a five-year contract to the farmers for the purchase of five crops - Maca, Cotton, Arhar, Masoor and Urad.

However, the Kisan Morcha clarified that they want the guarantee of MSP only on the basis of the formula given by the Swaminathan Commission. The commission had devised a C2 plus 50% of C2 formula, where C2 is the cost of production, including account rent and interest foregone on land and machinery owned by farmers.

The farmers have demanded a clarification from the Union government on why it was silent on issues like loan waiver, not privatising electricity, Comprehensive public sector crop insurance scheme, Rs 10,000 pension to farmers above 60 years of age.