Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the government has fulfilled its promise of hiking the minimum support price to 1.5 times the production cost of farming produce and said the government is committed to the development of the agriculture sector.
The government on Wednesday hiked the minimum support price for paddy by a steep Rs 200 per quintal as it looked to fulfil its poll promise to give farmers 50 per cent more rate than their cost of production.
The decision, taken by the Union cabinet headed by Prime Minister Modi, comes less than a year before the next general elections.
'I am very happy that the promise made by the government to our farmer brothers and sisters of giving minimum support price at 1.5 times the production cost has been fulfilled. There has been a historic increase in the MSP. Congratulations to all farmers,' the PM tweeted in Hindi.
The government is committed to taking all initiatives needed for the development of the agriculture sector and farmers' welfare, he said.
'We have been taking steps in this direction and will continue to do so,' he said.
Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah hailed the decision to increase the MAP of kharif crop as 'historical', stating that the move would benefit the farming community in a major way.
"I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues...this is a big decision in the interest of farmers...this will resolve many problems faced by farmers," he told reporters in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, after visiting 'Maa Vindhvasini' shrine.
"Through this historical decision, the government has fulfilled the 70-year-old demand of farmers...there is a possibility of up to 50 per cent hike in some of the crops," he said.
Shah stressed that the Modi government has been coming up with various farmer-friendly policy decisions ever since it came to power.
A case in point, he said, black marketing of urea was checked by introducing neem-coated urea.
"There is no dearth of urea anywhere in the country now...Pradhan Mantri Fasal Yojna, Pradhan Mantri Sichai Yojna were brought," the BJP leader said, citing the various schemes brought out for farmers.
