Farm leaders to discuss MSP funding with ministers today

Farm leaders from the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha Non-Political and Kisan groups are meeting with Union ministers today. This is the seventh round of talks focused on the farmers' demand for a legal guarantee of a minimum support price (MSP). Farmers want an MSP that ensures a 50% profit over their total costs. Today's discussions will center around a document from the farm forums. This document outlines the amount of money needed for MSP. The forums gathered this data from trusted organizations like the OECD and Crisil, which have provided different estimates on required MSP funds. At a previous meeting on February 22, Union ministers asked the farmers for data to support their claims. They mentioned they would verify this data through various agencies. Over a year ago, four meetings were held, with talks restarting on February 14. However, little progress was made at the last meeting because the agriculture minister was absent. In the recent meetings, farmers asked for real-time data on MSP for different crops and discussions on future projections. They expressed concerns that only 13% of farmers currently benefit from MSP. Farm leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarvan Singh Pandher aim to attend today's meeting with an open mind. They hope for a positive response from the government about their demands for MSP and other issues, including debt waivers for farmers.