​New Delhi The government is “committed to continue” the minimum support price (MSP) regime, Union minister Piyush Goyal said on Friday, adding that it is considering procuring the entire quantity of maize and pulses from farmers at MSP to encourage diversification of crops from unsustainable, water-guzzling crops like rice.

On cotton cultivation, he said the government is considering to purchase the entire quantity of the produce from farmers across the country at MSP without any condition of diversification.

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According to experts, excessive focus on paddy production in states such as Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh has resulted in depletion of the water table and deterioration of soil health, which is why maize, pulses and cottons are seen as better alternatives.

A senior official who did not wish to be named said the government is considering nudging farmers with “guaranteed procurement” of three types of pulses — tur, urad and masoor — and maize at MSP for sustainable agriculture.

“Maize and pulses could be grown simultaneously as the former only has a 40-day cycle,” said the official, who wished not to be named.

Procurement could be done through government agencies such as the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation Of India Limited (NCCF).

While procured pulses could be sold in the market at subsidised rates to citizens under the Bharat brand, maize could be used for producing ethanol in place of sugarcane or rice, he said. “Producing ethanol from sugarcane makes no sense. Yes, molasses could be used for this purpose after extracting sugar,” the official added. Similarly, the cotton procured would be sold in the market above the MSP, he said. The government, which has already achieved 12% blending of ethanol with petrol, has raised the target to 20% by 2025.

The government has started working on a plan to implement the move for sustainable agriculture. The food and consumer affairs ministry is setting up an online portal where farmers would register with their details such as Aadhaar number and self-certify details to avail benefits of crop diversification. The move is in line with a proposal of the central government offered last month to farmers protesting at the Punjab-Haryana border. The Centre proposed buying three types of pulses, maize and cotton at MSP for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers. The proposal was not accepted by the protesting farmers.

In an interview with news agency PTI, Goyal said the Modi government is committed to the welfare of farmers and exuded confidence that farmer leaders will call off their protest. Goyal, along with Union agriculture minister Arjun Munda, and minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai, has held four rounds of talks with the farmers’ groups seeking a legal guarantee on MSP.

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“Please don’t get misled by the propaganda of some people. This government is committed to the interests of farmers and we are totally committed to a bright future for every farmer,” the report quoting the minister said.

According to the official mentioned above, the government is concerned about the deteriorating soil health of the region that has over-dependence on paddy cultivation due to historic reasons and finds diversification of crops as the best solution.