Ensure remunrerative prices for agriculutrual produce: Hooda

New Delhi, May 29 (UNI) Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today urged the UPA government to enact a legislation to ensure mandatory remunerative prices for farm produce and quoted the recommendations of Dr M S Swaminathan headed National Commission on Farmers in this regard.

''The Commission has recommended that the Minimum Supoprt Price (MSP) should at least be 50 per cent more than the weighted average cost of production,'' Mr Hooda said in a speech, read out in absentia.

The Haryana CM said in case of crops like groundnut and urad, the prescription of the maximum limit of Rs 800 per quintal resulted in the farmer getting subsidy only to the extent of 15 per cent.

''In many cases this implies providing subsidy at a rate much lower than the prescribed level,'' he said adding that there is a provision of subsidy of 30 per cent in the distribution of certified seeds of oilseeds and pulses.

Calling for recoginition and better appreciaiton of the role of womenfolk, the small and medium farmers in the agricultural sector, he advocated that the level of subsidy for them be enhanced to 75 per cent in all the Central Schemes and especially for the scheme pertaining to improved farm implements.

UNI