Increase MSP for ragi, jowar, Muniyappa tells Centre

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies KH Muniyappa on Monday wrote to Union Minister for Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, demanding that the Centre increase the Minimum Support Price for both finger millet (ragi) and sorghum (jowar of the maldandi variety).

Muniyappa pointed out that the MSP for jowarmaldandi was particularly low at Rs 3,225 per quintal, adding that the same should be hiked to Rs 4,500. He said that ragi was going for an MSP of Rs 3,846 per quintal but the same must be increased to Rs 5,000.

The minister pointed out that vast swathes of land in Karnataka were not irrigated and depended on rain. Therefore, farmers of the state had opted to cultivate millets and sorghum as the crops consumed less water.

So under the circumstances, the farmers in question deserved the Centre’s help by way of increased MSP, Muniyappa argued.