BHUBANESWAR: Registered seed growers have urged the state government to revise the price of certified moong seeds and increase it to Rs 110 per kg in view of the hike in minimum support price (MSP) by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
In a memorandum to the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC), the Odisha State Seeds Growers’ Association said the procurement rate of Rs 84.6 per kg fixed by the State Pricing Committee is almost equal to the market price.
Farmers registered with OSSC for supply of moong seeds prefer to sell their stock in open market rather supplying to the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) under the price support system.
While the prevailing market price of moong is Rs 80 per kg, the government reduced the procurement price from Rs 92 in 2019-20 to Rs 84.6 a kg for 2020-21.
While asking the states to fix the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times of the weighted average cost of production, the Centre had advised to provide 30 per cent more than the MSP for pulses seeds to farmers to recover cost.
“The farmers spend more on seed production. The existing price is unremunerative as they purchase foundation seeds from the Corporation at a higher cost of Rs 116 per kg,” said general secretary of the association Rabi Narayan Mohapatra.
He said the MSP announced by the Centre for moong is Rs 71.96 per kg and this expected to provide a return of at least 50 per cent over the cost of production.
Taking the average cost of production of certified moong seeds and providing a margin of 30 per cent over MSP, the procurement price should be fixed at Rs 93 per kg.
“We have requested the Corporation to fix the procurement price of moong seeds at Rs 110 per kg failing which we will be forced to sell our produce in open market,” said joint secretary Basant Barik.
Meanwhile, the Government has commenced procurement of rabi oilseeds and pulses from farmers starting from May 7. The State will procure 14,121 tonne of green gram from the farmers.
Dwindling price
Government had fixed procurement price at Rs 92 in 2019-20
It reduced the to Rs 84.6 per kg for 2020-21 season
Market price of moong is Rs 80 per kg
Farmers demanded Rs 110 per kg
