Apprehensions over MSP misplaced, farm laws to empower farmers: Piyush Goyal

UNION MINISTER Piyush Goyal said on Saturday said the new farm laws will empower and protect farmers and apprehensions over MSP were “misplaced”. The MSP, he said, will remain “unaffected” and farmers will get higher remuneration.

“The farm laws have freed our farmers from decades-old bondage regarding sale of produce and will pave way for fast growth of the nation’s agricultural sector… The laws have provided freedom to farmers to decide and sell their produce anywhere in the country. They are no longer bound by restrictions of markets nor will be exploited by middle agenda for cess,” said Goyal. He was addressing the media in Mumbai to raise awareness about the laws.

He said the three laws will provide contractual protection to farmers against adverse price variations, while also giving them the freedom to avail benefit of favourable market prices.

On minimum support price, he said: “MSP was there yesterday, it is there today, and will be there tomorrow. The government has fixed MSP at 1.5 times of production cost, and it has been extended to more items. MSP rate and procurement, too, have gone up in recent times, even during the period of low inflation.”