Monsoon arrives but no decision yet on support price

The South-West monsoon has arrived in Kerala. The Met Office is sanguine about the monsoon as atmospheric conditions are said to be developing favourably. After the unkind decline in precipitation last year which resulted in sharp fall in kharif output (especially rice, coarse cereals and oilseeds), farmers are eagerly awaiting the onset of monsoon to begin their sowing operations. But the tragedy is that the Ministry of Agriculture is still grappling with a final decision on minimum support price (MSP) for kharif crops, although rains are almost knocking at the door. The anxiety in the air and among peasants is hardly shared by those in Krishi Bhawan. It is unclear what is holding up the decision and announcement. This correspondent tried to speak with no less than four senior level officials in the Ministry. Almost everyone was out attending meetings - surely not the same meeting. At least one senior official was said to be travelling. A middle-level official, who, for obvious reason should remain unidentified confessed that no decision has been taken on MSP. He was unsure when the decision would be made. Prodded to guess if the announcement about MSP would be made in the next few days, he regretted his inability to mention a timeframe. The India Meteorological Department has forecast a normal South-West monsoon for this year. The high and mighty in the Government including the Prime Minister have laid great hope on monsoon rains to augment domestic farm output and rein in food inflation.