Shillong, July 24: Voice of the People Party MLA, Heavingstone Kharpran, on Friday urged the Meghalaya government to formulate a comprehensive agricultural price protection policy and provide additional financial assistance of Rs 4,000 to farmers over and above the Rs 6,000 they receive annually under the Centre’s PM-KISAN scheme to cushion them against recurring market failures.
Kharpran made the appeal after meeting Agriculture Minister Timothy D Shira and submitting a memorandum to him, highlighting the severe hardships faced by farmers, particularly due to the sharp fall in the prices of agricultural produce.
Later, the Mawryngkneng MLA told reporters that the additional financial assistance from the state would offer much-needed relief to farmers struggling to sustain their livelihoods amid mounting losses.
He said Shira assured him that the matter would be placed before Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma for consideration.
Kharpran said many cultivators had been forced to take bank loans to continue farming activities. He said the government could examine the possibility of waiving such loans to ease their financial burden.
In the memorandum, he said that the present market situation has become “extremely alarming,” with cabbage farmers being compelled to sell their produce at prices far below the actual cost of cultivation, harvesting and transportation.
He noted that the crisis is not confined to cabbage alone, stating that several seasonal vegetables and horticultural crops witness drastic price crashes during peak harvest seasons due to oversupply, lack of organised procurement, inadequate storage facilities and the absence of an effective price support mechanism.
Kharpran said the recurring price volatility resulted in substantial financial losses for the farmers, many of whom were unable to recover even their production costs, leading to increasing indebtedness, financial insecurity and declining interest among the younger generation in taking up agriculture.
Describing agriculture as the backbone of rural Meghalaya economy, he stressed that market failures could and should be addressed through effective government intervention.
Among the key measures he proposed are the formulation of a State Agricultural Price Protection Policy, introduction of a Minimum Support Price or State Assured Procurement Mechanism for selected horticultural crops, creation of a Price Stabilisation Fund, strengthening of government procurement centres during harvest seasons, and establishment of modern cold storage facilities, warehouses and collection centres.
He further called for the promotion of food processing and value-addition industries, improved market linkages through better transportation networks, introduction of crop planning and market intelligence systems, strengthening of Farmer Producer Organisations and cooperatives, and constitution of a high-level committee to study recurring price crashes and recommend long-term policy reforms.
“Our farmers do not seek charity; they seek fairness,” Kharpran said, adding that cultivators deserve a system that ensures remunerative prices and protects them from market volatility.
He urged the state government to initiate immediate relief measures for the affected farmers and frame a sustainable policy framework that guarantees price security and income stability for the farming community across the state.
