Paddy farmers in for a special bonus

Farm Ministry Plans To Give Incentives Due To Rising Production Costs And Drought THE government may announce a bonus over and above the minimum price paid to paddy farmers for the next season starting October.      In his meeting with a delegation of Akali Dal and BJP MPs and MLAs from Punjab, led by state chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, food and agriculture minister Sharad Pawar said the government would definitely do something to give relief to paddy farmers.      Mr Pawar said he was aware of rising cost of production due to drought and the matter of giving incentive would be seriously looked into at the time of procurement of paddy.      The Centre, on August 20, increased the minimum support price for 2009-10 season to Rs 950 per quintal for average quality, and to Rs 980 per quintal for higher grade. In 2008-09, the government procured  paddy at Rs 900 per quintal for fair average  quality and at Rs 930 for higher grade. This included the bonus of Rs 50 per quintal  over and above the MSP.  The delegation demanded that the Centre release Rs 3,000 crore to revamp the canals in Punjab to increase the crop production.      Updating Pawar about farmers' problems, Punjab chief minister requested the Union minister to send a central team to assess the drought situation instead asking farmers to shift to other crops.      Punjab deputy chief minister Sukbhir Singh Badal said farmers were expecting more paddy MSP and are disappointed with the current hike of Rs 50 per quintal. He requested that the Centre should increased the paddy MSP to Rs 1,350 per quintal for common variety and Rs 1,400 per quintal for higher grade.      In addition, the Centre should announce a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal because of higher cost of production following deficient monsoon. He demanded a central assistance of Rs 1,420 crore to Punjab as the state has already purchased power at higher price to save the crop.  BOOSTER DOSE  The govt, on August 20, raises the minimum support price for 2009-10 season to Rs 950 a quintal for average quality, Rs 980 a quintal for higher grade  Food minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the govt would announce more reliefs for paddy growers  The relief is expected to be over and above the MSP paid to paddy farmers from October