Farmers in Dindori urge the government to set a Minimum Support Price for their crops, including Kodo and maize, ahead of the Union Budget.
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00:00Tribal farmers in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh have small land holdings where they
00:16cultivate coarse grains such as kodo, kutki and maize.
00:24With a union budget presentation scheduled for February 1st, farmers here share a common
00:29demand, a guarantee of minimum support price by the government so they are not forced to
00:34sell their crops at low rates to local merchants.
01:29The government should arrange for a reasonable price for the crops to be sold at a reasonable
01:41price.
01:42We sell our coarse grains at a reasonable price.
01:45What are you cultivating now?
01:46We are cultivating kodo.
01:47How much do you sell it for?
01:48We sell it for 10-15 rupees.
01:49What do you demand from the government?
01:50We demand from the government that we should be sold at a reasonable price, not at a high
02:02price.
02:03Should there be a separate market for this as well?
02:07Yes, there should be a separate market for this as well so that we can sell it at a reasonable
02:15price.
02:16Farmers say that agriculture in the district in eastern Madhya Pradesh is primarily rain-fed,
02:38which limits their options to grow anything other than millets.
02:42They are hopeful that with the government aggressively promoting the cultivation and
02:46consumption of millets, the Finance Minister will make special provisions to support their
02:51age-old farming practices, enabling them to earn better returns.