INLD finds wheat MSP ''insufficient''

Fatehabad, Oct 30 (UNI) Indian National Lok Dal termed as insufficient the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 750 per quintal of wheat announced by the Union government earlier today and demanded it should be higher than the actual market price of Rs 1200 per quintal.

The former Haryana Minister and INLD leader Sampat Singh told mediapersons here that the MSP was much below the actual market price of wheat, which he claimed was at a price of Rs 1100 to Rs 1200 per quintal in the open market.

He said the MSP this year was only 7 per cent higher than the previous year's MSP of Rs 650 and Rs 50 as bonus.

Due to this low MSP, it could not procure sufficient wheat from the farmers and had to make up the deficit by importing wheat by waiving 50 per cent import duty on the import. Even then, the imported wheat cost Rs 1100 per quintal and was of much inferior quality as well, he said.

Mr Sampat Singh said it appeared that the government did not want farmers to produce wheat as it would not be possible for them to sell their produce below the market price.

UNI XC JN PK HS1825