Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal has urged the Central Government to revise the Minimum Support Price for cotton and paddy so as to bail out the farmers from distress.
The MP, on Thursday, raised the MSP issue in Parliament during Zero Hour. He said that the MSP for paddy was fixed at Rs.1,100, while it was Rs. 3,300 for cotton.
However, the MSP was not really benefiting the farmer if the input costs were to be considered. The millers and government was paying only the MSP to farmer though the market prices were high. It was not proper on part of the government and millers to consider the MSP as fixed price, he said.
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The government was paying only MSP and milling charges to the millers while procuring levy rice.
Instead, if the government procures paddy at market price, the farmers would get remunerative prices, he said, adding, the MSP for paddy should be at least Rs.1,500 and Rs. 5,000 for cotton.