BHUBANESWAR: Even as the inter-ministerial committee constituted by Odisha Government is yet to find out solutions to the agrarian crisis in the State, some progressive farmers have suggested the panel to ensure at least the production cost in view of the revision of minimum wage.
Writing separately to the committee headed by Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera, the farmers said the cost of production per quintal of paddy has gone up significantly after revision of minimum wage from Rs 200 to Rs 280.
The State Government had assessed the cost of production per quintal of paddy at Rs 2,344 in 2015 taking into account the minimum wage of Rs 200. The minimum support price (MSP) of paddy was fixed at Rs 1,400 per quintal. The farmers sustained a loss of Rs 1,000 per quintal of paddy production.
“After revision of minimum wage to Rs 280, the cost of production has gone up to Rs 2,762 per quintal. Though the paddy MSP has been hiked by Rs 200 from Rs 1,550 to Rs 1,750 per quintal, the production loss to farmers is Rs 1000 per quintal,” said Dillip Kumar Baral, a progressive farmer of Resinga village in Nimapara block of Puri district.
In a memorandum to the inter-ministerial committee, Baral said the Government has taken into account six labour days for production of a quintal of paddy while in reality more man-days are required and the farmers spent more than the Government estimate.
He urged the ministerial panel to recommend for either higher MSP to recover the cost or ensure that the farmers get their input cost, including their own labour which was never taken into account.
The committee which met recently held consultations with representatives of various farmer organisations. It has decided to make wider consultations with different stakeholders before submitting its report to the Government.
Meanwhile, the Assembly committee on minimum support price for paddy has decided to meet the President and Prime Minister to press the demand for increasing the price to Rs 2,930 per quintal. The progressive farmers have urged the Assembly committee to work out the actual cost of production before writing to the President and the Prime Minister seeking their audience for a discussion on the issue. Leader of the Opposition Narsingh Mishra had proposed the MSP at Rs 3,516 or 150 per cent of the cost of production.