Farmers’ Delhi march gathers at Haryana border

livemint.com:

PTI, Union agriculture minister Arjun Munda, however, said a law guaranteeing MSP cannot be brought in a hurry without consulting all stakeholders. He urged farmer groups to have a structured discussion with the government on the issue. The protests are organized by the Kisan Majdoor Morcha, an umbrella body of farmer unions from Punjab, Haryana and other states.

“Don’t treat farmers like they are criminals", said an emotional Madhura Swaminathan, an economist and daughter of agricultural scientist Dr M.S. Swaminathan, at an event on Tuesday celebrating the Bharat Ratna conferred on her father recently. The agitating farmers’ key demand—fixing MSP based on the cost of cultivation plus a 50% margin—was first recommended by the Swaminathan committee in 2006.

In addition, farmers are asking for a loan waiver, social security benefits like pension, and a revamp of the crop insurance scheme. They also want higher duties on imported agricultural produce, as duty-free imports lead to lower farmgate prices. The latest round of protests comes on the back of muted farm earnings over the past year, as the government placed export curbs on wheat, rice, sugar and onion, depressing local prices.

Farm incomes were also hit due to repeated climate shocks like heat waves and uneven rains. The last situation assessment survey report published by the National Statistical Office in mid-2021 showed farm households earned just ₹10,218 per month on average. Close to half their monthly earnings came from non-farm sources including wage earnings.

Average household debt was recorded at over ₹74,000. The government had earlier set a target to double farm incomes in the five years to 2022, the 75th year of India’s independence. However, it is yet