Farmers Decry 'Insulting' Wheat Price Hike, Demand Revision

A coalition of farmer organizations under the umbrella outfit Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has rejected the new minimum support prices (MSPs) for Rabi crops announced by the government on September 30. The MSP for wheat saw a mere Rs 25-per-quintal hike, which translates to just 25 paise per kilogram.

The SKM called this increase an insult and demanded an immediate revision of the MSPs for all Rabi crops, including wheat. They also requested that states be given full freedom to provide bonuses.

Alleging that the Centre bulldozed the state's price recommendations and ignored the increase in diesel prices and other input costs while calculating the cost of production, the SKM questioned the government's claim of providing a 106% profit for wheat farmers.