Amid an ongoing agitation by a section of Punjab farmers, the Haryana government, led by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, has notified the procurement of 24 crops at the minimum support price (MSP).
Earlier this year on August 5, ahead of the October assembly polls, the Saini-led cabinet had decided to include ten more crops—ragi, soybean, niger seed, safflower, barley, maize, jowar, jute, copra, and summer moong—under MSP procurement, in addition to the 14 crops already procured at MSP. These previously included paddy, bajra, kharif moong, urd, arhar, til, cotton, groundnut, wheat, mustard, gram, masur, sunflower, and sugarcane.
Saini said at the time: “I am happy to state that in the past ten years, the state government purchased 14 crops at MSP. Now, all crops in Haryana will be bought at MSP by our government.”
The notification issued by the Haryana government also aligns with the central government’s MSP policy, which applies to all these crops. Notably, sugarcane is procured at a fair and remunerative price (FRP), a mechanism similar to MSP.
In a notification dated December 19, Haryana’s Additional Chief Secretary for Agriculture, Raja Sekhar Vundru, stated that the government had formally notified these crops for procurement at MSP as per the Centre’s announcements.
A senior official told The Indian Express: “After the Model Code of Conduct came into effect for the Assembly polls, a notification could not be issued following the Cabinet’s decision in August. With this notification, the process is now complete. However, these crops were being procured at MSP even before the formal notification.”
The move to procure all crops at MSP came after the ruling BJP faced setbacks in the Lok Sabha polls, losing half of Haryana’s ten Lok Sabha seats to the Congress.
Haryana’s decision is expected to increase pressure on other states, particularly on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government, where farmers are currently agitating.
Criticism and challenges
Despite the announcement, farmer leaders in Haryana have criticised the policy, claiming that many of these crops are not widely cultivated in the state.
Additional Chief Secretary Vundru admitted that six crops—ragi, soybean, niger seed, safflower, jute, and copra—are not grown in Haryana.
Vundru added that certain crops, such as maize and barley, usually fetch higher market prices than the MSP. “The state procured maize in 2018-19, 2020-21, and 2021-22. However, barley has never been procured as its market price is typically higher than the MSP,” he said. Vundru further noted that crops like arhar, urd, til, and jowar also tend to attract market prices above the MSP.
The notification clarified that procurement of all notified crops at MSP will be carried out only for eligible registered farmers on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal.
Farmers demand legal guarantee
Farmer organisations continue to demand a legal framework to ensure MSP for all crops. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Chaduni) spokesperson Rakesh Bains said: “Only a law can guarantee that no crop is purchased below MSP. We have seen in the past that government agencies did not procure the entire produce despite announcing MSP for some crops. A legal guarantee will also ensure that private players cannot buy crops below MSP.”
The agitation underscores the farmers’ mistrust of government mechanisms and their insistence on legal safeguards to protect their livelihoods.
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