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| Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices | |
|---|---|
| Name | Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices |
| Formed | 1965 |
| Jurisdiction | India |
| Headquarters | New Delhi |
| Chief1 name | -- |
| Parent department | Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare |
Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices
The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices was constituted in 1965 to advise the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and Government of India on minimum support prices and procurement, interacting with institutions such as the Food Corporation of India, Reserve Bank of India, Planning Commission, NITI Aayog, and state governments like Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. Its work affects stakeholders including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, National Sample Survey Office, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament of India, and farmer organizations such as the Bharatiya Kisan Union and All India Kisan Sabha. The commission’s reports influence policy instruments administered by agencies like the Directorate of Economics and Statistics, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India, and Fertilizer Association of India.
The commission was established following recommendations from committees led by figures connected to entities such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, International Labour Organization, World Bank, Sivaraman Committee, and advisors who consulted with the Planning Commission and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture. Early influences included policy debates involving the Green Revolution proponents from Punjab Agricultural University, economists from the Indian Statistical Institute, and administrators from the Union Public Service Commission. The creation responded to crises similar to famines that prompted interventions by bodies like the Food Corporation of India and advocacy from unions such as the Kisan Sabha.
The commission’s mandate includes advising on minimum support prices (MSP) for crops, evaluating costs with inputs from institutions like the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, National Research Centre for Agroforestry, and the Central Agricultural University, and recommending procurement norms for agencies such as the Food Corporation of India and State Marketing Boards. It provides analytical reports used by ministries including the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, coordinating with the Reserve Bank of India on buffer stock financing and with NITI Aayog on rural development strategies.
The commission comprises a chairperson and members appointed by the Government of India in consultation with departments like the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare and advice from institutions such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and the National Sample Survey Office. Its governance intersects with administrative structures including the Central Vigilance Commission, Controller General of Accounts, and the Department of Expenditure in the Ministry of Finance. The members engage with representatives from state governments such as Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Karnataka, as well as stakeholder groups including the Bhartiya Kisan Union and cooperative federations like the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India.
The commission’s methodology draws on cost concepts developed by statisticians at the Indian Statistical Institute and agronomists at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, combining data from the National Sample Survey Office, field surveys in districts like those in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, and market intelligence from the Food Corporation of India and state procurement agencies. It uses cost measures analogous to frameworks used by international organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank, and factors input prices influenced by entities like the Fertilizer Association of India and fuel price benchmarks set in consultations with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The commission models price scenarios that inform fiscal allocations approved by the Ministry of Finance and procurement volumes managed by the Department of Food and Public Distribution.
Recommendations have shaped procurement operations by the Food Corporation of India, influenced price support mechanisms in states such as Punjab and Haryana, and affected cropping patterns in regions served by institutions like the Punjab Agricultural University and Indian Council of Agricultural Research research stations. Its role has been cited in policy shifts debated in the Parliament of India and in reports by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Outcomes relate to rural incomes monitored by the National Sample Survey Office and fiscal transfers reviewed by the Ministry of Finance and NITI Aayog.
Critics including farmer unions such as the Bharatiya Kisan Union and commentators in outlets linked to the Press Council of India have argued that the commission’s cost calculations and MSP recommendations favor regions like Punjab and Haryana, echoing debates in the Parliament of India and civil society groups like the Centre for Science and Environment. Controversies have involved procurement disparities noted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India and legal disputes brought before courts including the Supreme Court of India and various High Courts of India.
The commission’s work interfaces with programs such as the Public Distribution System, buffer stocking policies by the Food Corporation of India, price stabilization funds overseen by the Ministry of Finance, and schemes promoted by the Ministry of Rural Development and Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. It interacts with agricultural insurance initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, credit programs from the Reserve Bank of India and National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, and market reforms debated in forums involving the NITI Aayog and the Parliament of India.
Category:Indian agricultural policy