Chandigarh: Amid ongoing protests by some farmers in Punjab, the Haryana government, led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, has announced that sugarcane crops will be procured at the minimum support price (MSP).
The Haryana government’s notification aligns with the central government’s MSP policy. Sugarcane will continue to be procured at a fair and remunerative price (FRP), which works similarly to MSP.
Earlier this year, on August 5, before the October assembly elections, the Saini-led cabinet added ten more crops—ragi, soybean, niger seed, safflower, barley, maize, jowar, jute, copra, and summer moong—to the list of crops eligible for MSP procurement. These additions are in addition to the 14 crops already covered under MSP, including paddy, bajra, kharif moong, urad, arhar, til, cotton, groundnut, wheat, mustard, gram, Masur, sunflower, and sugarcane.
Speaking earlier, Saini said, “For the past ten years, we have been purchasing 14 crops at MSP. Now, we are committed to ensuring that all crops in Haryana are procured at MSP.”
The Haryana government’s notification aligns with the central government’s MSP policy. Sugarcane will continue to be procured at a fair and remunerative price (FRP), which works similarly to MSP.
In a notification dated December 19, Haryana’s Additional Chief Secretary for Agriculture, Raja Sekhar Vundru, confirmed that the state had formally notified these crops for MSP procurement, following earlier announcements by the central government.
A senior official said, “The notification was delayed due to the election code of conduct. But these crops were already being procured at MSP even before the formal notification.” The notification specifies that only registered farmers listed on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal will be eligible for MSP procurement.
Farmer groups continue to demand a legal guarantee to ensure MSP for all crops. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) spokesperson Rakesh Bains said, “We need a law that ensures farmers get MSP for every crop. In the past, government agencies have not procured the entire produce despite announcing MSP. A legal guarantee will also stop private buyers from purchasing crops below MSP.”
The protests highlight farmers’ concerns about the reliability of the government’s procurement system and their call for stronger legal protections to safeguard their incomes.
