The Haryana government’s recent promise to procure 24 crops under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme has met with skepticism from farmer organizations and opposition leaders. The announcement, made by the Nayab Singh Saini government ahead of the state Assembly elections, is seen by many as a politically motivated move, particularly given that many of the 24 crops listed are not widely cultivated in Haryana.
Out of the 24 crops included in the MSP scheme, around 10 are reportedly not extensively grown in the state. Among the newly added crops are ragi (finger millet), soybean, fennel, jute, copra, moong (green gram), niger seed, sunflower, barley, and jowar (sorghum). Current MSP procurement in Haryana primarily covers crops like wheat, mustard, barley, gram, paddy, maize, bajra, cotton, and sesame.
Opposition Leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda criticized the announcement as another attempt by the BJP to “mislead farmers.” He emphasized that the power to enforce MSP lies with the Centre, not the state government, and called for a legal guarantee on MSP from the central government. “The government is making these announcements with an eye on the upcoming polls, but farmers are not easily fooled,” Hooda told The Indian Express.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, president of the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee (KMSC), also questioned the credibility of the government’s promise. He pointed out that no provisions for MSP procurement were included in the state budget and demanded detailed information about the funds and logistics required for such an initiative. “If the Haryana government is serious about MSP, they need to outline how they will fund and implement this scheme,” Pandher said.
Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni added that the BJP government should introduce legislation in the Assembly to solidify the MSP promise. “The government’s announcement is a reaction to our demands for MSP, and they should back it with concrete legislative action,” Chaduni told The Indian Express.
In defense of the initiative, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture) Dr. Raja Shekhar Vendru stated that the goal was to include as many crops as possible in the MSP scheme, including those that might be grown in the future. He mentioned that the procurement would cost around ₹123.65 crore and that the state was equipped with the necessary facilities. “The aim is to ensure that crops potentially grown in Haryana are also covered under MSP,” Vendru said.
However, Retired Agriculture Director Suresh Gehlawat highlighted ongoing issues with the existing procurement system. He noted that while crops like mustard and sunflower are procured at MSP, the current system often falls short, forcing farmers to repeatedly visit procurement centers. In contrast, crops like cotton fetch higher prices from private players, while staple crops such as wheat, paddy, and maize receive more consistent government support.
As Haryana’s political landscape heats up, the effectiveness and sincerity of the government’s MSP promise will likely remain a point of contention among farmers and political analysts alike.