A gazette notification has been issued by the government under the MIP policy in which the selling price of the herbicide Glufosinate has seen an increase of more than 40%. In this context, the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ambawata) is writing a letter to the government demanding withdrawal of the said notification. It claims that the notification has been issued by the government to protect the interests of Indian companies but is going to increase monetary burden on farmers.
Another notification has been issued related to another herbicide Glyphosate, which will be sprayed through Pest Control Operators (PCOs). The move is set to further increase the cost of herbicides. The Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ambawata) wants the government to withdraw it immediately.
It says that companies and shopkeepers are selling sub-standard and duplicate crop protection chemical in the market. As the farmers lack knowledge about the quality of products, they are being duped. The farmers are suffering huge losses and are sinking in debt. We strongly urge the government to save the farmers by taking immediate action on these issues. We will go to Krishi Bhawan to submit a memorandum to the government in this regard. If proper action is not taken in this regard, we will be forced to protest.
Our old demand from the government has always been that there should be a guarantee of MSP and the government should start procurement on MSP. MSP procurement should be one-and-a-half times the cost right now. Even the rent of land (about ₹ 40,000 per acre) is not added to the cost. Therefore, the government should pay attention to this and take immediate decision.
Due to the aforesaid reasons, farmers are moving away from farming and the younger generation also does not want to do farming because the government is not thinking about their interests. In the interest of farmers, Bhartiya Kisan Union also demands pension scheme of ₹ 5,000 a month for elderly farmers. We call upon all the farmers unions to come on one platform and protest against the wrong policies of the government.