MSP for sugarcane will be increased to Rs 4,000 by next year, says MRK Panneerselvam

CHENNAI: State Minister for Agriculture- Farmers Welfare, MRK Panneerselvam, on Wednesday assured the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugarcane will be increased to Rs 4,000 per metric tonne by next year.

The announcement was made in response to the questions raised by Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami and AIADMK MLA C Vijayabaskar during a debate on the State Budget and Agriculture Budget for 2025-26.

Both opposition leaders questioned the government's failure to honor its 2021 election promise of setting the MSP for sugarcane at Rs 4,000 per metric tonnes.

Currently, the MSP for sugarcane stands at Rs 3,500 per metric tonnes, a figure that the state government had previously announced in the Agri Budget, tabled in the House on March 15.

However, Panneerselvam clarified that steps are already being taken to fulfill the party's electoral commitment and that the MSP will indeed be revised to Rs 4,000 per metric tonne as promised in the 2021 manifesto.

During the debate, both Palaniswami and Vijayabaskar expressed concern over the government's inability to meet its electoral pledges, with Vijayabaskar specifically noting the alarming decline in the area under sugarcane cultivation.

He argued that under the current DMK administration, the cultivation area has been steadily shrinking, a situation that threatens the livelihood of farmers in the state.

Vijayabaskar further warned that if the DMK government continued to fail to address the issues plaguing the agriculture sector and delivering on its promises, the upcoming state budget, which will be presented by a government led by Edappadi Palaniswami, would seek to resolve the concerns of farmers and ensure their welfare.