By IANS,
Chandigarh : Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal said Monday the price at which the government buys wheat from farmers should be fixed at Rs.1,800 per quintal for 2012-13 to offset the massive increase in the cost of agricultural inputs.
Badal said that the increase in input costs had put an additional burden of Rs.800 crore on the already beleaguered farmers.
Badal said that his demand was based on a study by experts of the Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, on the impact of recent hike in prices of farm inputs.
Badal termed the hike in the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat announced by the Centre recently “cold-blooded and inhuman”.
He accused the Congress-led central government of an anti-farmer bias and said the attitude was leading to negative growth in agriculture.