New Delhi, 22 Aug 2023 | ANN

Criticizing government’s policies to decrease import duty on several items such as edible oil, Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM – non-political) in letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday has urged him to reconsider the decision alleging that centre was working in the interests of corporates and this would lead to cartelisation in agriculture trading which will hurt both farmers and consumers.

Farmers leaders said that the Centre had done an injustice to farmers by reducing import duties on food items which are grown here. They also said, law on MSP guarantee would have saved farmers from price collapse of food commodities.

The farmers leaders said farm gate prices of all kinds of edible oil nuts are falling due to central government’s slashing of import duty in September 2022 which was 5.5% for crude palm oil and soyabean oil and 12.5% for refined palm oil and soyabean oil. They also added that farmers were the most impacted by the import duty reduction on wheat which increases corporate profit.
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