Bhopal, Oct 30: Madhya Pradesh government has announced to fix minimum support price (MSP) for vegetables and fruits in the state to stop exploitation of farmers by the middlemen.
State agriculture minister Kamal Patel on Friday told reporters that his department was working on the plan to fix MSP for vegetables and fruits in the state in the line of MSP declared for various food grains by the Centre.
“The policy of MSP for vegetables and fruits will come into force in the state shortly”, he added.
He said the move would not only protect the farmers from the exploitation by the middlemen but also help them in increasing their income.
“We will ensure that their profit margin is increased by at least 50 percent”, he said.
Sources said the state government would discuss with different farmers’ bodies in the state on the issue before fixing the MSP for various types of vegetables and fruits.
Madhya Pradesh is self-sufficient in production of vegetables barring potato and onion.
Kerala is the first state in the country to fix MSP for vegetables and fruits in the state. The government’s policy on MSP for vegetables and fruits in Kerala will come into force on November 1.
The Kerala government has declared MSPs for 16 varieties of vegetables and 5 varieties of fruits.
