To pacify a group of protesting farmers, Union agriculture minister Arjun Munda on Tuesday said the Centre is willing to discuss all issues associated with farmers’ welfare with an ‘open’ mind. Agitating farmers are seeking a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) for all farm produce.Munda said the Centre is willing to set a separate committee or expand the scope of the existing panel on MSP chaired by former agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal.
The panel by the agriculture ministry was set up in July 2022 and aimed to find solutions for a host of agri-related issues. The panel has held several meetings since its formation and the report of the committee according to sources will be finalised in the next couple of months. “We also need to discuss issues raised by farmers groups with the state governments as well,” Munda said.
He noted that a policy guaranteeing an MSP as demanded by protesting farmers requires extensive talks with stakeholders. He has cautioned the farmers to be ‘alert’ about elements which could defame their protest for political benefits.A meeting was held on Monday with farmers’ representatives in Chandigarh. The meeting, which was attended by Munda, food and consumer affairs minister Piyush Goyal, and Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, sought to pursuade agitating farmers to call off the ‘Delhi chalo’ march.
Sources said there was a lack of consensus on three key demands — enactment of a law to guarantee a MSP for all 23 crops under the purview of Commission for Agricultural Cost and Prices (CACP), loan waiver and the implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations. In addition, pension for farmers and farm labourers, reinstatement of the land acquisition Act, 2013, withdrawal from WTO and compensation for families of deceased farmers from the previous protest are the other issues.Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) convenor Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee coordinator Sarwan Singh Pandher were among others who attended the meeting.