(a) whether the farmers of various States including seven Eastern States have not
been offered the Minimum Support Price (MSP) fixed by the Government;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for the same, State-wise;
(c) whether this may upset the calculations on extending the benefits of green
revolution to the eastern sector and also affects the overall food production in the
country;
(d) if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD PROCESSING
INDUSTRIES AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (SHRI HARISH RAWAT)
(a) & (b): Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) fixed by the Government are applicable
throughout the country. The MSP is ensured through procurement by central, state
and cooperative agencies in the states. State governments have been alerted from
time to time to make adequate arrangements to ensure MSP to farmers.
The total procurement of paddy in 2010-11, (as on 1st September, 2011), in the
eastern states of Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal
has been 10.57 million tonnes constituting about 32 percent of the total procurement
of rice in the country. The total procurement of wheat in 2011-12 rabi marketing
season in the states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh has been 3.94 million tonnes
constituting about 14% of the total procurement of wheat in the country.
(c) to (e): A programme “Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern States†is being
implemented in seven states of Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam,
Orissa and Chhattisgarh to increase the productivity of rice based cropping system by
intensive cultivation through promotion of recommended agriculture technology and
package of practices by addressing the underlying constraints of different agro-climatic
sub regions.