New Delhi [India], December 7 (HBTV): Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday assured that the government will not only fix the Minimum Support Price (MSP) at more than 50% of the production cost but also procure the produce from farmers.

While addressing the Rajya Sabha, Chouhan stated that the Central Government will continue purchasing crops from farmers at the MSP, reaffirming the government's commitment to farmers' welfare.

He emphasized that the Congress had previously denied farmers the MSP for their crops. In contrast, the Central Government, under PM Modi, has consistently increased the MSP over the last decade, according to an official press release.

Chouhan further assured that the government would not only set the MSP at more than 50% of the production cost but also procure the produce from farmers. Under PM Modi’s leadership, the government is committed to ensuring beneficial prices for farmers.

He highlighted that in 2015, the ministry was renamed the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, marking a significant shift towards prioritizing farmers' welfare, which had previously been lacking.

While responding to agriculture-related queries, Rajya Sabha Chairman Dhankhar praised Chouhan, noting that the man revered as the "brother of beloved sisters" will now also be cherished as the "brother of farmers." Dhankhar expressed confidence that Chouhan would fulfill his responsibilities in accordance with his name "Shivraj." He formally declared, "From today, I have given you a new name - Kisano Ke Laadle."

Chouhan reiterated that this is Narendra Modi's government, and Modi’s guarantee is to fulfill the promise. He further pointed out that when the Congress was in power, they had refused to accept the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan Commission.

In 2019, PM Modi’s government decided that MSP rates would be fixed by adding a 50% profit on the cost. Chouhan remarked that when the Congress was in power, they never gave more than 50% profit to the farmers on cost, but the current government is committed to purchasing crops from farmers with at least 50% profit, the press release stated.

Chouhan stressed that Modi’s government works with foresight, with the welfare and development of farmers being a top priority.

This comes as farmers launched a fresh wave of protest with the 'Delhi Chalo' march, demanding compensation and a legal guarantee for the MSP. However, the farmers called off the march on Friday evening after some of them suffered injuries from tear gas shelling by the police to disperse the protestors.

(ANI)