Clamour for better prices persists in agrarian heartland

Almost two decades since the National Commission on Farmers, headed by renowned agricultural scientist M.S. Swaminathan, recommended providing 50% profit for farm produce to make farming viable, farmers’ incomes remain a debatable issue.

The issue crops up every election season, with political parties promising better procurement prices by increasing the incentive given by the State, over and above the minimum support price (MSP) fixed by the Centre, mainly for paddy and sugarcane.