Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007
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Online edition of India's National Newspaper Tuesday, Oct 23, 2007 ePaper |
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Tamil Nadu
CHENNAI: Food Minister E.V. Velu informed the Assembly on Monday that the State would press the Centre to further enhance the minimum support price (MSP) for paddy. Replying to a special calling attention motion, he said the support price for paddy last year was Rs.650 a quintal. As much as 16.08 lakh tonnes was procured last year. This year, the Centre had announced a minimum support price of Rs.675 a quintal. Following this, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi wrote to the Centre on September 25 seeking increase in the price. “When I met Sharad Pawar [Union Agriculture Minister] I also raised the issue of enhancing the support price.” As a result of all this the price was increased to Rs.725. The Chief Minister wrote to the Centre again on October 17 pressing for a further hike in the paddy procurement price, since it was earlier announced that wheat would be procured at Rs.1,000 a quintal. He requested that parity be maintained in the support prices of both the food grains. The efforts were continuing at various levels, Mr. Velu said, and expressed hope that the Government would succeed in getting a hike in rate. C. Gnanasekharan (Congress), said production costs had gone up so much that farmers would be able to barely break even only if the procurement price was increased to Rs.1,000. If the Centre did not heed the request, then the State should foot the additional cost. M.K. Periasamy (PMK) said many farmers were giving up agriculture and migrating to towns in search of jobs because paddy cultivation was no longer viable. V. Marimuthu, CPI(M), wanted the recommendations of the Swaminathan Committee to be implemented at an early date. S. Gunasekaran (CPI) said the Government should insist that representatives of farmers’ organisations and the State Government be part of the Centre’s price fixation committee.
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