THE HINDU Editorial Vocabulary - October 5, 2018 - Fields of concern

Fields of concern — on MSP for kharif crops

Within months of announcing generous hikes in the minimum support price (MSP) for several crops in the kharif summer season, the NDA government on Wednesday approved an increase in the MSP offered for rabi crops. These increases mark a sharp change from the cautious approach adopted by the Narendra Modi government in raising MSPs during the first half of its tenure. The latest hikes are generous, even if they are moderate compared to those fixed for the kharif crop. By way of comparison, the highest increase over the previous kharif season’s MSP was 52.5% for the cereal ragi. 

Now the highest season-on-season hike for the rabi crops is 20.6% for safflower. The MSP for wheat has been raised 6.1%, or ₹105 a quintal. For mustard, gram and masur dal, the increases are between 5% and 5.3%. The government says that with these prices, it has delivered on its promise that farmers will get a price at least 150% above their cost of production, and that their incomes will be doubled over time. The rabi crop will be planted in November, by which time Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan (large producers of wheat and mustard, respectively) will be firmly in campaign mode. The BJP, which has to deal with anti-incumbency in both these States, has faced some flak over the Madhya Pradesh government’s handling of farmer agitations. Clearly, it is now riding on the hope that the new MSPs will bolster its farmer-friendly credentials and further its prospects at the hustings.

It is no coincidence that the hikes were announced a day after thousands of angry farmers descended on New Delhi, stopped only by the use of water cannons and teargas. This is the latest in a long string of instances that signals the existence of underlying agrarian distress. But it is not merely the lack of adequate prices for farm output that has led to restiveness — the rise in costs of inputs such as fertilizers and diesel is also a reason for this. India’s farm sector has multiple stress points, and ground-level procurement often does not take place at stipulated support prices. Barring paddy and, to a lesser extent, wheat, the MSP formula doesn’t work for most crops in the absence of substantial direct procurement by the government. Market prices for cotton are currently close to the MSP, but this is largely because of traders betting that export demand will rise due to the U.S.-China trade war. A robust mechanism that actually helps farmers get the declared MSP for a crop is being pursued through a price deficiency payment scheme and a private procurement plan. But this is still in a nascent stage and is not adequate. There needs to be a holistic reboot of the agriculture sector, particularly to address the restrictive trading policies and excessive government interventions that deter productivity enhancements.

Vocabulary

Generous: showing a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected.

Example: She was generous with her money

Synonyms: liberal, lavish, magnanimous, munificent, giving, openhanded, free-handed

Approach: a way of dealing with something.

Example: We need a whole new approach to the job

Synonyms: method, procedure, technique, modus operandi

Moderate: average in amount, intensity, quality, or degree.

Example: We walked at a moderate pace

Synonyms: average, modest, medium, middling, ordinary, common, commonplace

Campaign: work in an organized and active way toward a particular goal, typically a political or social one.

Example: People who campaigned against child labor

Synonyms: crusade, fight, battle, push, press, strive, struggle, lobby

Bolster: a long, thick pillow that is placed under other pillows for support.

Example: Sessions were kept short or broken for comfort breaks so that she could be re-positioned with supporting pillows and bolsters .

Synonyms: strengthen, reinforce, boost, fortify, renew, support, sustain, buoy up

Prospects: the possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring

Example: There was no prospect of a reconciliation

Synonyms: likelihood, hope, expectation, anticipation, odds

Coincidence: a remarkable concurrence of events or circumstances without apparent causal connection.

Example: It's no coincidence that this new burst of innovation has occurred in the free nations

Synonyms: accident, chance, serendipity, fortuity, providence, happenstance

Adequate: satisfactory or acceptable in quality or quantity.

Example: This office is perfectly adequate for my needs

Synonyms: sufficient, enough, requisite; acceptable, passable, reasonable

Absence: the state of being away from a place or person.

Example: The letter had arrived during his absence

Synonyms: nonattendance, nonappearance, absenteeism, truancy, playing truant

Robust: strong and healthy

Example: The Caplans are a robust, healthy lot

Synonyms: strong, vigorous, sturdy, tough, powerful, solid, muscular, sinewy

Procurement: the action of obtaining or procuring something.

Example: Financial assistance for the procurement of legal advice

Restrictive: imposing restrictions or limitations on someone's activities or freedom.

Example: A web of restrictive regulations

Enhancement: an increase or improvement in quality, value, or extent.

Example: These enhancements will improve the customer experience