Agriculture and Food Management

AGRICUL TURE AND FOOD MANAGEMENT
Increase in agriculture production needs to come through an increase in gross cropped area (multiple cropping), coverage of area under irrigation and improvement in the productivity levels. The Planning Commission has made an assessment of trend growth of various parameters that contribute to agricultural growth. Except for an increase in the rate of growth of credit supply to farmers, there has been a deceleration in the growth of all the other variables/factors.
The Commission for Agricultural Costs &. Prices (CACP) recommends the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 24 important cr.ops. The Commission, apmi from other factors, considers the cost of production which includes the cost of paid-out inputs, imputed value of family labour and rentals for the own land while recommending MSP. The MSPs are normally announced up front before the commencement of sowing operations of the particular crop and have usually been remunerative and significantly higher than the cost. The MSP, by definition, becomes the floor price and fam1ers are assured of getting that price. In most of the crops, the MSP inclusive of bonus has been above the cost of production.