Farmers’ income steadily rising, Minister tells RS

However, Tomar refuses to respond to a query on law to guarantee minimum support prices

December 04, 2021 05:18 am | Updated 05:18 am IST - NEW DELHI

The income of farmers is steadily rising in the country, including in Uttar Pradesh, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told the Rajya Sabha on Friday in a written reply to a question from a Samajwadi Party MP from the State.

During question hour, however, the Minister refused to respond to a query from another Uttar Pradesh MP regarding a law to guarantee minimum support prices, a major demand of farmers’ groups supported by the SP.

SP leader Rewati Raman Singh had asked “whether it is a fact that there has been no increase in the income of farmers in the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh during 2020-21; [and] if so, the immediate measures the Government proposes to take to increase the income of farmers in the country”.

In his written response, Mr. Tomar said “the income of farmer is steadily increasing in the country, including in Uttar Pradesh”. He then outlined the schemes being implemented to augment farmers’ income, such as the PM Kisan income support scheme, as well as micro irrigation and procurement schemes.

The Minister said food grain production in Uttar Pradesh had increased from 558 lakh tonnes in 2016-17 to 619.48 lakh tonnes during 2020-21, adding that the present Uttar Pradesh Government had undertaken a record procurement of 214.56 lakh tonnes of rice and 209.67 lakh tonnes of wheat during the last four years.

During question hour, while Mr. Tomar was responding to a query on PM Kisan from BJP member Y.S. Chowdary, Samajwadi Party MP Vishambar Prasad Nishad attempted to ask a follow-up question regarding a law to guarantee MSP rates for all farmers. He was supported by Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha. However, Mr. Tomar did not respond to the query and amid interruptions, the Deputy Chairman called on a BJP member from Rajasthan who brought the discussion back to the topic of PM Kisan.

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