Beyond MSPs: Farmers protest 2.0

Farmers, primarily from Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, are once again marching towards Delhi on February 21, after nearly two years of protests against the three farm laws. In anticipation of another potential siege of Delhi, the police in Haryana and Delhi have taken extensive precautions, including the sealing of borders between Punjab and Haryana, and Haryana and Delhi, to discourage farmers from entering the national capital.

Unlike the previous protest, where the primary demand was to repeal the farm laws, which the government acknowledged after nearly two years of demonstrations, this time, farmers are demanding a series of measures from the Central government, which they believe are necessary for the financial sustainability of farming.

During the fourth round of talks with a central government team, the ministers proposed that government agencies would purchase pulses, maize, and cotton at the minimum support price (MSP) for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers. However, the farmers' union rejected the proposal and decided to proceed with their march towards Delhi on February 21.

"We appeal to the government to either address our concerns or remove barricades and allow us to proceed to Delhi to protest peacefully," said Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader, Sarwan Singh Pandher, while speaking to reporters at the Shambhu point of Punjab's border with Haryana.

The previous protests were a response to the three farm laws implemented by the government, which aimed to provide remunerative prices to farmers by linking them to open markets, with the objective of doubling farmer incomes. However, the protesting farmers believed that the new laws would put them at the mercy of private corporations, and hence demanded their repeal.

This time, the primary demand, which is also among nearly a dozen other demands, is a legal guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) for all crops. The government sets MSP for almost two dozen commodities twice a year based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices. The majority of crop procurement under MSP is from Punjab and Haryana, primarily of wheat and rice, which supports the government's public distribution system. Farmers want a law that guarantees MSP on every crop. However, the government has various concerns regarding the demand for a legal guarantee, such as global prices, procurement pressure on the government, export competitiveness, and central expenditure.

Another significant demand is the implementation of the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan committee on agriculture. MS Swaminathan, an agro-scientist known as the father of the Green Revolution, was recently awarded Bharat Ratna. One of the primary recommendations of the committee was to increase MSP to at least 50% above the weighted average cost of production.

Anjel Juman. P, Assistant Professor of Economics, Al Shifa College of Arts and Science, Kizhattoor, Perinthalmanna