India is supporting its agriculture through various policies such as the Price Support Scheme (PSS), Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), and a number of other agricultural support programs. Could India provide its position on the concerns that there may be overlap or inefficiency in the sheer variety and complexity of the agricultural support programs?
Reply: There is no overlap between the commodities covered under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), and perishables covered under the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS). 25 specific commodities such as paddy, maize, cotton, soybean, wheat, etc. are covered under PSS for which Minimum Support Price (MSP) are announced before the start of the crop season. Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) operations are taken under exceptional circumstances when farmers are forced to make distress sale of their perishable crops on account of excess supply.
