Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024
: The Maharashtra assembly elections have spotlighted farmers' issues, raising political heat. Farmers are voicing their displeasure over soybean, cotton, and onion prices in the state. The Prime Minister, Agriculture Minister, Chief Minister, and Deputy Chief Minister are all offering explanations and promising relief to farmers. Nevertheless, the ground reality is that farmers are not receiving fair prices for their crops.
Soybean Prices: Forced to Sell Below MSP
For farmers, soybean has become a loss-making deal. Farmers report that in 2021, the price of soybeans in the open market ranged from 9,000 to 10,000 rupees per quintal, while the MSP was only 3,950 rupees per quintal. In 2024, although the MSP has risen to 4,892 rupees per quintal, open market prices have dropped to only 3,800 to 4,200 rupees per quintal. Farmers and experts attribute this mainly to the central government's near-zero import duty on edible oils, which caused market prices to plummet.
Now, in the election frenzy, import duties have been raised to 27.5%, but farmers say the market will take time to stabilize.
Cotton Prices Under Pressure Too
Maharashtra, the country's largest cotton producer, finds its farmers disappointed with cotton prices. In January 2022, the market price for cotton was 8,000 to 10,000 rupees per quintal, while the MSP was 6,025 rupees. This year, MSP stands at 7,521 rupees per quintal, yet market prices are only reaching 7,100 rupees. Farmers allege that the central government’s decision to import cotton has depressed market prices.
Onion: Fears of Export Ban Post-Election
Onion pricing has become a political weapon. While current prices bring relief to farmers, farmer leaders worry that the central government might reimpose export restrictions post-election. Former MP and farmer leader Raju Shetty alleged that when onion prices were 3,000 rupees per quintal, the government imposed an export ban. With current prices at 4,000-5,000 rupees per quintal, the government's silence is seen as an electoral compulsion.
Questions on Government Policy
Farmers are angry with governmental policies. There's criticism about the lack of coordination between the Agriculture and Consumer Ministries. Anil Ghanwat, a member of the Supreme Court committee on farm laws, stated that government intervention has harmed both farmers and consumers. He remarked that to control onion prices, farmers were forced to sell at low prices. Consequently, onion cultivation decreased, leading to high prices now.
Farmers' Calculations: How Big is the Loss?
Raju Shetty highlighted that soybean prices in 2022 were 9,000 rupees per quintal, whereas now they stand between 3,800 and 4,200 rupees, resulting in a 5,000 rupee per quintal loss for farmers. With an average yield of 10 quintals per acre, the farmers face a loss of 50,000 rupees per acre. Although the government provides 6,000 rupees annually under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, it is insufficient to cover these losses.
The Agriculture Minister noted that the moisture content for soybean purchases has been raised from 12% to 15%. Steps such as increasing import duties on palm oil and removing the ban on onion exports have been taken. However, farmer leaders argue these decisions are influenced by the election environment. They question why government purchases weren't made when farmers were incurring losses?
Will the Government Win Farmers' Trust?
The anger of Maharashtra's farmers could influence electoral outcomes. It remains to be seen if the government's promises and assurances will convince farmers. The opposition is forcefully raising these issues, posing a challenge to the ruling party. Overall, farmers and their crops have emerged as the pivotal electoral issue in the Maharashtra assembly elections.
