Farmers introduce MSP Loot Calculator; PM's MSP claims busted?

Farmers were looted Rs. 140 crore in the gram crop sale within the first 15 days of March, 2021, said the Jai Kisan Andolan during a virtual conference that launched the MSP Loot Calculator on March 18.

In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated assurances that “MSP was, is and will remain” leaders introduced the Loot Calculator that predicted farmers are likely to lose Rs. 870 crores till the sale of gram. As of Thursday, Gujarat has been allegedly ‘looted’ the most.

“According to data of daily procurement and its value in every mandi by the government website Agmark Net, between March 1 and March 15, farmers lost Rs. 140 crore only in gram crop due to selling crops below MSP,” said farmer leader Yogendra Yadav.

Describing it as the loot of the farmer, he said that on an average, two crore quintal of gram has come to the market in recent years. Of that, only 32 lakh quintals i.e., only 16 percent arrived in the market in March fortnight.

MSP for gram crop is Rs. 5,100 per quintal. However, in all mandis across India, farmers received an average of Rs. 4,663 per quintal. This means that they suffered a loss of Rs. 437 by selling less than MSP. Gujarat was the worst-affected state with an average price of Rs. 4,462. Gram farmers in the state were looted of Rs. 638 per quintal.

Overall, Gujarat’s gram-producing farmers lost Rs. 46 crores, while Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh farmers lost Rs. 38 crores and Rs. 35 crores in March.

According to Yadav, this loot is not new considering farmers suffered a loss of Rs. 884 crores in 2020-21. At the time peasants received Rs. 800 less than MSP on an average. Earlier in 2019-20, farmers were robbed of Rs. 957 crores. He stated that the government has not made any arrangement to stop this trend.

Leaders said that they would continue to announce such data every day to showcase the plunder of farmers in any state, any market or any crop. The purpose is to expose the “false propaganda” that farmers are receiving MSP.

Haryana General Secretary Deepak Lamba said that like the last 4 years, this year also his organisation will roam state mandis to check whether farmers receive the right price for their crops. Similarly, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) Media Coordinator Paramjit Singh said the calculator will strengthen the “MSP Dilao Abhiyan”.

Information on “MSP loot calculator” can be seen daily on the Jai Kisan Andolan and Yogendra Yadav’s Facebook page and Twitter account. It will be broadcast nationwide through social media and media.