New Delhi, October 17
The government today increased the minimum support price (MSP) of wheat by Rs 50 per quintal to take it to Rs 1,400 per quintal claiming to “encourage farmers to cover more area under the crop in the ongoing season”.

Farmers, however, rejected the “dismal increase” over last year’s support price of Rs 1,350 per quintal. Terming it an “anti-farmer verdict”, farmer leaders from Punjab Balbit Singh Rajewal and Satnam Singh Behru said the “meagre hike” was insufficient to cover the massive increase in the cost of agriculture labour and inputs like pesticides, fertlisers etc.

The Punjab Government had demanded the wheat MSP to be fixed at least Rs 1,855 per quintal, keeping in mind “growing input costs”. The Centre, however, maintained though the Rs 50-hike would add to inflation, a decision “favouring the farmers” was taken to encourage them. Food Minister KV Thomas said the government understood farmers’ perspective, but it had to take a balanced approach keeping all other factors in mind.

Officials say the decision to give Rs 50 hike in wheat MSP was based on political compulsions. It was taken keeping in mind the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha poll, they say.