Bengaluru: After rolling out its five guarantee schemes, the govt is now planning an ‘MSP guarantee’ to strengthen market intervention and ensure farmers receive minimum support price for their crops. While the earlier schemes focused mainly on social welfare, critics had pointed out the absence of a dedicated programme for farmers. Agriculture minister N Cheluvarayaswamy said the new initiative aims to fill this gap, adding that unlike the five guarantees, the ‘MSP guarantee’ does not involve direct freebies but seeks to improve system efficiency so benefits reach eligible farmers. Under the current system, the govt procures crops after harvest, requiring farmers to enroll at ‘Kharidi Kendras’ (procurement centres) within a stipulated period. However, the proposed scheme plans to enrol farmers at the sowing stage itself, ensuring they have certainty about govt procurement. Registration will be facilitated through the FRUITS (Farmer registration and unified beneficiary information system) app used for crop surveys. Officials will also visit farms and hand over registration certificates. “The plan is to give farmers a guaranteed fair price for their crops at the very beginning so that they can confidently involve themselves in cultivation,” Cheluvarayaswamy said. “We are making use of technology and the database produced by the FRUITS app so that the fake beneficiaries are automatically eliminated and benefits reach only eligible farmers.” He said plans are still under discussion and will be formally launched after updating chief minister Siddaramaiah. MSP is a market intervention tool allowing the state to procure roughly 20% of crops whenever prices crash in the open market. While the Centre sets MSP for select crops, state procurement is carried out with Union govt approval on quantities to be purchased. This year, 14 crops including paddy, ragi, and jowar have been selected for MSP during the kharif season (June to Sept), while 11 crops such as green gram and black gram are listed for the rabi season (Oct to Jan). Normally, registration opens later in the season, giving farmers two months to enrol and sell their produce. The ‘MSP Guarantee’ scheme, however, allows registration year-round starting with the sowing season. “It is a much-needed reform,” said Ashok Dalwai, chairman of Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission. “Since the kharif season is near its end, the ‘MSP guarantee’ can be implemented with the start of the rabi season next month.” Cheluvarayaswamy said the state is exploring other reforms to include more crops, such as all millets and horticultural produce grown in Karnataka, to ensure broader benefits. “We will soon send a proposal to the Centre,” he said.
