Chennai, Aug 19 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Wednesday urged the central government to increase the minimum support price (MSP) for copra to Rs 125/kg.
In a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, the text of which was released to the media, Palaniswami said the MSP for milling copra for the 2020 season should be revised to at least Rs 125/kg from Rs 99.60/kg.
"At present, market rate in Tamil Nadu and nearby states prevails between Rs 100 to Rs 110 per kg. Hence, taking the above challenges into consideration, it is felt that the present MSP for milling copra of Rs 99.60 per kg will not be adequate to compensate their cost of production," Palaniswami said.
Pointing out that the central government had fixed the MSP for paddy, ragi and pulses at 150 per cent of the cultivation cost, Palaniswami said the coconut farmers also need to be given adequate price for their produce.