Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of State (I/C), Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), MOS(I/C) Civil Aviation and MOS, Commerce and Industry, has stated that in Punjab some people have been spreading lies, fake propaganda and inciting the farmers against the Government by calling the new Agriculture laws anti- farmers despite knowing benefits of these laws for farmers to increase their income. “The MSP is going to stay. The current paddy crop is being bought on MSP basis; there have been a record buying by Government agencies this season. Similarly, wheat will be procured in the season and no farmer will face any issue”, he added. He was addressing a Video Press Conference on Agriculture Reform Bill  with the Scientists, Professors and other senior persons related to agriculture from Taran Taran, Amritsar here today.

Explaining the benefits of the reforms to Arhtiya community, Shri Puri said that the bills will also create new opportunities for our arhityas who can provide better seeds, inputs, knowledge, supply chain assistance apart from their existing roles in mandis. Investments will drive change across the supply chain benefiting all stakeholders to reduce the agriculture wastage which is currently at 30%.

During his interaction, Shri Puri also informed that there has been an increase in the procurement at MSP in Punjab. In the ongoing Kharif Season, Punjab registered unprecedented increase of procurement from 7.4 LMT last year to

26.1 LMT this year as on 11.10.2020, which is more than 251% increase from the Kharif procurement compared to last year.

As n 11th Oct 2020, total procurement of Paddy across all States in India increased by 35% from 31.7 LMT last year to 42.5 LMT this year. In the last 5  years, 3,069 LMT of Paddy was procured at MSP for Rs.4,95,043 crores compared to 1,768 LMT between 2009-14 for just Rs. 2,06,059. A 2.40 times increase can be seen in MSP value. Similarly, in the last 5 years, 1,627 LMT of Wheat was procured at MSP for Rs. 2,97,023 compared to 1,395 LMT between 2009-14 for Rs. 1,68,202. A 1.77 times increase in MSP value is seen.

The number of procurement centers for Wheat in Rabi Season went up to 21,869 for the year 2020-21. Nearly a 50% increase on previous year's 14,838 procurement centers. The number of procurement centers planned for Kharif Season 2020-21 have increased from 30,549 (2019-20) to 39,130. Nearly a 30% increase in of procurement centers.

Total number of procurement Centers (Rabi & Kharif seasons combined) have gone up from 48,550 in 2016-17 to 64,515 in 2019-20. An increase of nearly 33% over just 4 years. The number of farmers who have benefited from Paddy procurement at MSP has increased by 72% between 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Important steps taken by NDA in last 6 years for the benefit of farmers

1. Swaminathan Committee' recommendation regarding fixation of MSP was implemented i.e. at least 50% profits on cost of production.

2. Agricultural Budget during 2020-21 is Rs 1,34,399 crore as against Rs 12,000 during 2009-10.

3. Rs 1 lakh crore Agri Infra Fund under Atmanirbhar Bharat package.

4. PM Kisaan Samaan Nidhi - more than 10 crore farmers have been benefitted. More than Rs 94,000 crore have been given to farmers through DBT.

5. During Covid pandemic more than 9 crore farmers were given more than Rs 38,000 crore under PM Kisaan.

6. Since February 2019 fisheries and animal husbandry farmers are also given benefit of KCC card.

7. In the last 6 months 1.29 crore new KCC cards have been given.

8. Summer sowing this year 57lac ha which is more by 16 lac ha compared to last year.

9. Kharif season sowing this year: 1104 lac ha which is way more than the record kharif season sowing of 2016 which was 1075 lac ha.

10. eNAM mandis increased from 585 to 1,000 during Covid pandemic lockdown period more than Rs 1 lac crore worth trade has happened on the eNAM platform.

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RJ/APS/SG