Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Government today urged the Centre to hike the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of paddy to Rs 2930 per quintal.
Addressing a press meet, State Agriculture Minister Arun Sahoo said that the move will benefit the small and nominal farmers of the State.
Stating that the farmers of Odisha are facing the challenges of natural disasters in almost every year, the Minister said that the increase in MSP is necessary to provide support to them.
The Central assistance is not adequate for the farmers. Hence, the MSP of paddy should be increased to Rs 2930 per quintal, Sahoo said.
The Centre has hiked MSP for all mandated kharif crops including paddy for marketing season 2021-22. The MSP of paddy (common) has been increased to Rs 1,940 from Rs 1,868 per quintal. Similarly, the MSP of paddy (Grade A) has been increased to Rs 1,960 from Rs 1,888, an increase by Rs 72 per quintal, which will not benefit the farmers of the State, he added.