Indian farmers – Central News Hub

Farmers Reject Centre’s Proposal on MSP

The announcement was made by farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal at the Punjab-Haryana’s Shambhu border in Patiala district after holding a meeting…reports Asian Lite News

In a setback, farm union leaders on Monday rejected the Centre’s proposal of buying pulses, maize and cotton at minimum support price (MSP) by government agencies for five years, saying it was not in farmers’ interest.

The announcement was made by farmer leaders Sarwan Singh Pandher and Jagjit Singh Dallewal at the Punjab-Haryana’s Shambhu border in Patiala district after holding a meeting.

A panel of three Union ministers — Piyush Goyal, Arjun Munda and Nityanand Rai — on Sunday gave a proposal to the farmers during the fourth round of talks in Chandigarh.

Soon after the fourth round of talks concluded on Monday night, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said, “We will discuss proposals given by the Centre with fellow farmers, take the opinions of experts.”

The crops which the Centre has proposed to buy on assured MSP include three pulses — arhar, tur and urad, besides cotton and maize.

It is proposed that the central agencies such as the NCCF, NAFED and the Cotton Corporation of India will sign a contract for five years to buy the crops from the farmers.

The farmer leaders have been asked by the three-member Union ministers comprising Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai to discuss their proposal and give their consent before arriving at the final plan from the Central government.

Interacting with the media after the meeting, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said if the MSP is given for this crop then Punjab can lead the country in production of pulses.

He added it will be a second green revolution in the country though Punjab had suffered due to the Green Revolution by loss of its only natural resources in terms of over exploitation of fertile soil and water.

The Chief Minister also said that farmers of the state can adopt cotton and maize only if they get the MSP of these crops.

He said the assured marketing of these crops can encourage the farmers for crop diversification — a major push to the crop diversification in the country.

He added the country today imports pulses from other countries whereas if farmers get remunerative prices then they can produce these pulses here.

Xxx

‘Will march towards Delhi on Feb 21’

Ahead of the farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march scheduled on Feb 21, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher targeted the Centre, saying that the government is stopping the farmers from entering Delhi and farmers should be allowed to hold their march on Wednesday.

“The intention of the govt was very clear that they would not let us enter Delhi at any cost…If you don’t want to find a solution through discussion with farmers then we should be allowed to march towards Delhi…When we moved towards Delhi, shelling happened…Bullets were also used on the tyres of the tractors…DGP Haryana has said that they are not using tear gas on farmers…We demand punishment for those using it then…Wrong statements are also being given…The situation in Haryana is like that of Kashmir. We will march towards Delhi on Feb 21. The govt has given us a proposal so that we backtrack from our original demands. The govt will be responsible for whatever happens now,” said farmer leader Sarwan Singh.

After the Centre brought a proposal to purchase crops at Minimum Support Price (MSP), farmers rejected the proposal on Monday evening, saying that it had nothing for them.

Addressing a press conference, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that after the discussion, the forums rejected the proposal.

“After the discussion of both forums, it has been decided that if you analyse, there is nothing in the government’s proposal. Our government imports palm oil worth Rs 1.75 crore from outside that also causes illness to general public. If this money is given to the farmers of the country to grow oil seed crops and MSP is announced, then that money can be used here. This is not on the favour of farmers. We reject it,” he said.

“If the government is not giving legal guarantee of MSP, it means that the farmers of the country will continue to be looted. This is not acceptable,” he added.

After the fourth round of talks, General Secretary of Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee Sarvan Singh Pandher asserted that the farmers will continue to move forward with the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on February 21 adding that the discussion will also be held on the proposal proposed by the government on MSP.

Now, the farmers will continue their ‘Dilli Chalo’ march on February 21.

Earlier, Jagjit Singh Dallewal said that we had a detailed discussion on our (farmers’) demands during the fourth round of talks with the government.

“The government has given us a proposal, which guarantees MSP on pulses, maize and cotton, which will be supervised and managed by two government agencies,” says SKM (Non-Political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal after the conclusion of the meeting between protesting farmer unions and Union Ministers in Chandigarh,” he added.

Gov Helping Farmers, Says Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed on Monday that his administration is dedicated to steering agriculture onto a novel trajectory, with a particular emphasis on endorsing natural farming methods and promoting millets. Speaking at an event in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, he underscored the imperative of striving towards the shared objective of positioning Indian food products on dining tables worldwide. Against the backdrop of ongoing farmer protests, including demands for a statutory guarantee of minimum support prices for crops, Modi reiterated the government’s commitment to aiding and incentivizing farmers in revitalizing the agricultural sector.

Modi stressed the significance of transitioning towards natural farming practices and integrating millets into agricultural frameworks, asserting that the current moment presents an opportune time for investments in nutrient-rich superfoods like millets. He cited the burgeoning adoption of large-scale natural farming along the Ganges riverbanks in Uttar Pradesh, noting its dual benefits of supporting farmers while safeguarding the purity of sacred rivers.

In a bid to encourage the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices, the Prime Minister urged food processing entrepreneurs to adhere to the mantra of “zero effect, zero defect” in their endeavors. He spotlighted the success stories of products such as Siddharth Nagar’s kalanamak rice and Chandauli’s black rice, which have witnessed significant exports, and called for collective efforts to popularize Indian food items globally.

Modi encouraged entrepreneurs to forge partnerships with farmers, underscoring the government’s initiatives aimed at empowering small-scale farmers through farmer producer organizations and cooperative societies, which offer avenues for mutually beneficial collaborations. Addressing investors, he emphasized that advancements in agriculture and benefits to farmers also translate into positive outcomes for businesses.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister commemorated the recent conferral of the Bharat Ratna award upon former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, recognizing his legacy as a champion of farmers’ rights and rural development.

ALSO READ: Kamal Hassan Set to Announce Alliance

African cheetahs offer hope to Indian farmers

It is not just the wildlife lovers, but farmers in the Gwalior-Chambal division who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the cheetahs from Africa…reports Praveen Dwivedi

Indian state Madhya Pradesh forest minister Kunwar Vijay Shah is on a study tour of South Africa along with some senior forest officials. Sources said that the minister’s visit is connected to the much talked about relocation of cheetahs from South Africa to Kuno Palpur Sanctuary located in Madhya Pradesh’s Shivpuri district.

Earlier, the wildlife officials in Madhya Pradesh had assumed that the first batch of cheetahs will reach capital Bhopal by August 15. However, it could not happen.

It is not just the wildlife lovers, but farmers in the Gwalior-Chambal division who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the cheetahs from Africa.

The world’s first inter-continental translocation of the fastest moving animal — from Namibia and South Africa to Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park — whose final dates are far from being decided, will not only give a fillip to wildlife tourism, but also promises to bring smiles to the faces of farmers in three districts.

Reliable sources said that farmers in the three districts of Gwalior-Chambal region, including Shivpuri, Ashok Nagar and Guna, may find in the cheetahs the solution to their long standing problem of the Indian antelope ‘Blackbuck’ damaging their crops every season.

As part of the efforts to build a wide and suitable prey base for the cheetahs before they arrive in the Kuno National Park, the state forest department is working on a project of trans-locating blackbucks from Shivpuri, Ashok Nagar and Guna districts to the new home of the cheetahs.

“The rains have temporarily hit the progress of the blackbuck translocation project, but it will gain momentum once the monsoon eases. We hope to go ahead with the exercise on the ground by October, which will see the blackbucks being trans-located through the Boma technique from Shivpuri, Ashok Nagar and Guna districts to Kuno National Park and other ideal jungles having suitable habitat for the Indian antelope,” said CS Ninama, Chief Conservator of Forests in Madhav National Park.

Ninama said that the team of the Kuno National Park is already working on developing a prey base for the cheetahs, but with blackbucks considered the most ideal prey for the cheetahs, approval has been given to the project to translocate the blackbucks from the three districts of Gwalior-Chambal region, where they are a major problem for the farmers.

With the grasslands being their most favoured habitat, the blackbucks permanently reside in the agricultural fields of farmers and often damage the crops in the initial phases of cultivation by crushing the nascent crop. The farmers of the three districts, despite the blackbucks being a major problem for their early crops, haven’t harmed them, but have been raising the issue with the authorities.

“By translocating the blackbucks to Kuno National Park and other ideal habitats, we will not only help the farmers’ cause, but also save the Indian antelope from being attacked by wild canines particularly during the monsoon season in the muddy agricultural fields. Further, they will be the ideal addition to the already existing prey base for the cheetahs in Kuno. We will complete the exercise of estimating the blackbuck population in the three districts in the next few weeks, followed by the study of their behavioural and habitat related aspects, based on which appropriate changes will be made in their future habitat before their translocation. We hope to start the translocation exercise by October end,” Ninama added.

Meanwhile, forest minister Kunwar Vijay Shah recently said that the cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa will not be arriving in MP before November. Certain pending issues, including removal of three leopards from the 500-hectare enclosure prepared for the cheetahs in Kuno, a MoU with the South African government and other related issues need to be addressed before bringing the 20 cheetahs from Namibia and South Africa.

Cheetahs became extinct in India in the 1950s. The plan for their re-introduction has been in the pipeline since decades. The central government had initially approached Iran, where the Asiatic cheetah, the same sub-species that went extinct in India, exists, and was even keen on cloning the species. But, on Iran’s refusal to help India, owing to the low number of the species there, the central government turned to the African sub-species.

ALSO READ-India, Namibia ink pact for Cheetahs