An expert committee will be set up to re-examine the National Policy for Farmers (NPF) amidst growing number of suicides by farmers, the government has told the Supreme Court.
The Agriculture Ministry told the Supreme Court that suicides continue to be reported despite the NPF being in place for the past eight years.
“There is, thus, a need for an integrated approach and re-look at the present policy…. the present government recognises the need for supporting the farmers and has taken a number of steps for increasing production, productivity, realise remunerative prices and risk mitigation,” the Ministry said in an affidavit.
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It said that Minimum Support Price for various crops was as per the Commission on Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) to promote de-risk farming and cut losses.
The PIL was filed by the Punjab-based NGO Youth Kamal Organisation. The apex court had earlier imposed a cost of Rs. 25,000 on the government for failing to clarify its stand on the question of re-visiting the policy.