Indian Farmers Reject Govt's Rabi Crop MSP Hike, Plan Protests
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a farmers' body in India, has rejected the government's recent hike in Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for rabi crops. The SKM deems the Rs 25/quintal wheat increase an 'insult' to foodgrain producers and is demanding a significant raise using the comprehensive C2+50% formula.
The SKM disputes the government's MSP calculation, which is based on 1.5 times the input cost in terms of A2+FL. This formula excludes the rental value of farmers' own land and interest on their own capital. The SKM claims that even using CACP's data, the margin for wheat works out to 43%, not 106% as claimed by the government.
The farmers' body is planning protests across villages and district headquarters, urging farmers and rural youth to burn copies of the government order as a mark of protest. The SKM has also called for a legal guarantee for MSP at C2+50% based on an 'honestly calculated' cost of production.