In view of offering right price to vegetable growers and making their business free from mediators, the Government of Jharkhand (India) is in a mood to fix Minimum Support Price (MSP) for vegetables from this year.
The State Government taking initiative in this direction has approved the organisation of a committee under the Special Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
The Committee will first study the draft Policy of Kerala, Karnataka etc. and then it will prepare its own report on that basis. The MSP for vegetables will be fixed on the basis of the report of the committee.
Abu Bakar Siddiqui the secretary of Agriculture, Co-operative and Animal Husbandry told the media that the Government of Jharkhand was serious on MSP of Jharkhand’s vegetables so as to enable farmers not to sell their vegetables on throw away prices.
He told that he would study the basic work plan of Southern States. He accepted that much preparation will have to be done before implementing the MSP Policy of Jharkhand’s vegetables.
The Secretary admitted that a number of cold storages will have to be constructed for the safe storage of vegetables. The committee is thinking seriously on this issue as well.
About 35 cold storages were approved in the previous year. The construction of these buildings is being done on proper speed. In the current year three cold storages of 500 Mt capacities have been approved.
The Agriculture Secretary assured that he would try to establish cold storages or cold rooms on every block. Initiatives will also be taken under National Agriculture Development Plan– he assured.
About the rate of MSP, the secretary told that decision can be taken only after the report of the committee.
The Government can take help of some agency for purchasing from farmers. The Government will launch the plan after complete study of all the standards.
The Government of Jharkhand will study the plans of Kerala and other states.
Cold storages are to be constructed on large scales.
Jharkhand is in a better condition in vegetable production, though the state is included in the food importer states.
The Government is planning to raise the productivity up to 15.35 tones. The availability of vegetables per person per day is 334 g here, which is 49% more than the ICMR guideline of 285g.NABARD is already offering loans to farmers to install cold storages in the country including Jharkhand.
