BATHINDA: Standing committee on agriculture, animal husbandry and food processing headed by Punjab based Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday recommended the government to implement legally binding minimum support price (MSP) for agricultural produce, stating this could significantly reduce farmer suicides and provide crucial financial stability.
The parliamentary panel on Tuesday submitted a comprehensive report to Parliament highlighting the potential benefits of a legally guaranteed MSP. The first report pertains to demands for grants (2024-25) of the ministry of agriculture.
“The committee strongly recommends that the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare declare a roadmap for implementing MSP as a legal guarantee at the earliest,” the report stated.
Channi said that as chairman he presented a report on ‘Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing’ in the Parliament. The committee has 30 members with 20 from Lok Sabha and 10 from Rajya Sabha. The committee held 17 meetings. After a detailed discussion, the report has been prepared in favour of farmers and agriculture. The committee has recommended increasing the budget of agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy farming, and the fishery departments.
