As per the Minimum Support Price (MSP) Loot Calculator, farmers suffered a loss of Rs. 2 crore in the first 27 days of March 2021 for the sale of barley crop, said the Jai Kisan Andolan.
Assessing data from March 1 to March 27 via the Agmark Net government website, farmers stated that Rajasthan farmers suffered the biggest loss of Rs. 1,80,00,000 on barley sales.
“If this is the case, then in the Rabi season this year, the barley crop of the country is likely to be looted of Rs. 31 crores,” said farmer leader Yogendra Yadav.
The MSP for the crop is Rs. 1,525 per quintal. However, mandis across India offer an average price of Rs. 1,446.37 per quintal to concerned farmers. Thus, barley farmers are looted by Rs. 78 per quintal due to selling below MSP.
In Rajasthan, the average market price for the crop was Rs. 1,432.24 per quintal costing peasants Rs. 92 per quintal. Following Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh also recorded a similar fate for its barley farmers who were robbed of Rs. 85 lakh.
Like wheat, barley is an important cereal crop for India along with rice and maize. It is used widely for food and animal fodder and for the creation of beer. Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh were among the producers of this crop, contributing greatly to India’s economy.
Farmers began their assessment of individual crop sales to challenge the central government’s assurances of MSP as well as to push their demand for legal provision of the same.
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