Akali Dal urges Punjab Govt to procure maize at MSP

Chandigarh, June 16

SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal today demanded that the Punjab Government agencies should procure maize at Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 2,090 per quintal as promised by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to save farmers from going in for distress sale.

In a statement here, the SAD president said farmers who had opted for maize cultivation after the CM’s announcement were in dire straits as there were no takers for the crop. This was forcing farmers to sell their produce at Rs 500 to Rs 600 per quintal less than the MSP to private traders, he said.

Demanding immediate procurement of the crop on MSP, Sukhbir said, “failing to do so will deal a severe blow to the diversification attempts of the government”.

He said the Chief Minister had announced with much fanfare that maize, sunflower and pulses would be procured on MSP due to which farmers had increased the acreage under these crops. “Now when the time has come to procure the produce, the AAP government is running away from its responsibility.”

He demanded that besides procuring maize at MSP, the government should also compensate farmers for the losses suffered by them in selling short to private traders.