MSPs suggested by various states for same crop should not differ widely: Pasha Patel

BHOPAL: There should not be too wide a gap between Minimum Support Prices for a crop suggested by different states, Maharashtra State Commission for Agriculture Prices chairman Pasha Patel said on Friday.

Patel attended a meeting of Commission for Agriculture Cost and Prices (CACP) for the western region, chaired by its head Vijay Pal Sharma, here.

The meeting was called to decide pricing policy for kharif crops and attended by representatives from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Goa.

Citing the example of soybean, Patel told PTI that there was too much difference in the MSP for 2023-24 suggested by Karnataka and the rates suggested by other states, and "this gap should be rationalized." Karnataka suggested MSP of Rs 10,184 per quintal for soybean while Jharkhand suggested Rs 6,063, Madhya Pradesh Rs 4,600, Maharashtra Rs 6,776, Rajasthan Rs 4,410, Tamil Nadu Rs 4,650, Telangana Rs 6,851 and Uttar Pradesh Rs 4,635, he said.

"This gap between Karnataka and other states is quite big, and it is not in the interest of farmers of other states. Therefore, while fixing the MSP for soybean and other kharif crops it should be rationalized in the interest of all the states," he said.

MSPs for paddy, cotton and tur (arhar) were also discussed in the meeting, Patel said.