Tribal Farmers In Madhya Pradesh's Dindori Demand MSP For Coarse Grains Ahead Of Union Budget

Farmers in Dindori urge the government to set a Minimum Support Price for their crops, including Kodo and maize, ahead of the Union Budget.

Transcript

00:00Tribal farmers in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh have small land holdings where they

00:16cultivate coarse grains such as kodo, kutki and maize.

00:24With a union budget presentation scheduled for February 1st, farmers here share a common

00:29demand, a guarantee of minimum support price by the government so they are not forced to

00:34sell their crops at low rates to local merchants.

01:29The government should arrange for a reasonable price for the crops to be sold at a reasonable

01:41price.

01:42We sell our coarse grains at a reasonable price.

01:45What are you cultivating now?

01:46We are cultivating kodo.

01:47How much do you sell it for?

01:48We sell it for 10-15 rupees.

01:49What do you demand from the government?

01:50We demand from the government that we should be sold at a reasonable price, not at a high

02:02price.

02:03Should there be a separate market for this as well?

02:07Yes, there should be a separate market for this as well so that we can sell it at a reasonable

02:15price.

02:16Farmers say that agriculture in the district in eastern Madhya Pradesh is primarily rain-fed,

02:38which limits their options to grow anything other than millets.

02:42They are hopeful that with the government aggressively promoting the cultivation and

02:46consumption of millets, the Finance Minister will make special provisions to support their

02:51age-old farming practices, enabling them to earn better returns.