Capt seeks hike in price of rabi crops

Chandigarh, June 12

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh sought a hike in the minimum support price (MSP) of rabi crops for 2019-20 from the Central government.

On the directives of the CM, the state Agriculture Department has come out with a detailed proposal for a hike in the MSP of wheat from Rs 1,840 per quintal in 2018-19 to Rs 2,710 in 2019-20 and barley from Rs 1,440 to Rs 1,974 per quintal.

The proposal, submitted to the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices, also seeks a hike in the MSP of gram from the earlier Rs 4,620 to Rs 5,631 per quintal and of rapeseed and mustard from Rs 4,200 to Rs 5,384 per quintal.

He said the hike was important for promoting crops such as barley, gram, rapeseed and mustard and to give the much-needed push for crop diversification, which would help in tackling the depleting groundwater table in Punjab. —TNS