The "Delhi Chalo" farmers' march is paused as government proposes 5-year MSP initiative.

FARMER'S PROTEST

Farmers from neighboring states of Delhi have paused their protest march towards the capital following the Union government's proposal of a five-year plan to purchase pulses, maize, and cotton crops from them at the minimum support price (MSP).

After the fourth round of talks between protesting farmers' leaders and the Union government in Chandigarh concluded late Sunday, farmers have requested two days to deliberate on the government's proposal within their forums, while decisions on other key demands remain pending.

MSP, a fixed price by the government to safeguard farmers from significant drops in crop prices, serves as a safety net preventing losses for farmers.

Union Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal stated that cooperative societies like the NCCF and Nafed will engage with farmers growing tur dal, urad dal, masoor dal, or maize to procure their crops at MSP over the next five years. "Including cereals like arhar or tur, urad under MSP could decrease imports, restore Punjab's depleted water level, and offer economic benefits for consumers," Goyal added.

Under this proposal, the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd will sign contracts with farmers for the next five years without limitations on the buying quantity.

Goyal mentioned that farmers also demanded maize and cotton to be covered under MSP. "For cotton, the Cotton Corporation of India will procure the entire crop at MSP, and farmer leaders will convey their decision by Monday morning," Goyal informed.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann participated in the talks, which began at 8:15 pm on Sunday and concluded around 1 am on Monday.

Thousands of farmers from over 200 farm unions joined the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) and the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) in their 'Delhi Chalo' march, initiating the protest on February 13 to press for various demands, including a state-guaranteed minimum price for 23 crops, loan waivers, social security benefits like pensions, and a revision of the crop insurance scheme.

Farmers are also advocating for higher duties on imported agricultural produce to prevent farmgate price reductions resulting from duty-free imports.

These protests follow subdued farm earnings over the past year, during which the government imposed export restrictions on wheat, rice, sugar, and onions, affecting local prices. Additionally, repeated climate shocks such as heatwaves and erratic rains have further impacted farm incomes.

On Sunday, the fifth day of their march, farmers remained stationed at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border.