Why Maharashtra soyabean farmers are facing a crisis despite Mahayuti’s procurement claims

Rawal said, “Through NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation) and NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation) the registration of farmers was carried retired from October 2024. There was a full of 562 procurement centres crossed the state. Of 7, 64,731 farmers enrolled, the procurement of 7,81,447 metric tonne of soyabean was done from 3,69,114 farmers successful the state.”

Maharashtra is “way ahead” successful soyabean procurement astatine minimum enactment price (MSP) arsenic compared to different 5 states, Rawal said. The full soyabean procured successful each the six states this play was 18.68 metric tonnes, of which Maharashtra accounted for 41.8%, helium noted.

However, this inactive seems to beryllium a lawsuit of “too little, excessively late”. A elder agriculture section authoritative admitted that astir of the farmers’ crops could not beryllium procured by the authorities astatine MSP. “The tiny and marginal farmers who represent 75% of the soybean cultivators person nary infrastructure to store their produce. From the tract they bring their crops to the APMC (Agriculture Produce Market Committee) mandis. They are frankincense near astatine traders’ mercy to judge the prevailing rates that the second determine,” helium said.

A currency crop, soyabean is chiefly grown successful the backward regions of Marathwada and Vidarbha. In September 2024, the country nether soyabean cultivation successful the authorities stood astatine 50.52 hectares arsenic compared to 50.72 lakh hectares successful the corresponding play successful 2023.

After being harvested successful November 2024, soyabean was brought by farmers to the APMCs, wherever the harvest got an mean terms of Rs 3500-Rs 4500 per quintal – overmuch beneath its MSP of Rs 4,892 per quintal. A bulk of tiny farmers sold their nutrient astatine the APMC mandis successful their respective talukas crossed the authorities astatine little prices. The soyabean auctioned astatine the Wardha, Yavatmal and Latur APMCs was betwixt Rs 3,500 and Rs 4,500.

Experts constituent retired that due to the fact that of delayed procurement and inadequate fig of registration centres, astir of the soyabean farmers, particularly tiny and marginal ones, were near with hardly immoderate enactment different than selling their nutrient astatine little rates.

In November, the Yavatmal APMC saw thousands of tiny farmers settling for little rates for their soyabean. A husbandman from Yavatmal’s Paur village, Sandeep Brahmankar said: “We had to merchantability soyabean astatine Rs 4,073 per quintal to retrieve our expenditure. We request wealth successful hand. We are besides not definite astir erstwhile our registration happens and erstwhile our crook volition come.” While being upset for not getting MSP for his crop, helium said, “We besides desperately request wealth and truthful holding our stocks would pb to further losses.”

What has added to Brahmankar’s woes is simply a shortage of workplace labourers starring to higher wages for those hired for post-harvest work. “It worked retired to Rs 15,000-Rs 20,000 per acre connected an average,” helium said.

A husbandman person Vijay Jawandhia said, “Even if the authorities were to procure soyabean from each 7.64 lakh farmers registered, it would inactive beryllium conscionable a tiny conception of authorities soyabean farmers who fig implicit 30 lakhs. Unless the state-Centre enactment a mechanics making MSP mandatory for each crops including soybean successful authorities arsenic good arsenic backstage markets, farmers volition not get immoderate relief.”

The authorities medication would person to intervene to guarantee traders travel forwards astatine backstage markets and wage MSP rates to farmers, Jawandhia said. “The superior crushed wherefore farmers similar APMCs contempt little rates is due to the fact that they cannot spend godown rents for storing their nutrient too the proscription cost. The waiting play is financially unfeasible for them.”

A elder APMC authoritative said, “About 75% of farmers bring their crops to APMCs successful their respective areas. They similar selling the harvest to traders (even beneath MSP) arsenic they get wealth immediately,” adding that lone astir 20-25% farmers, particularly large farmers, tin spend to support their stocks connected clasp and hold for their crook astatine the procurement centres.

Recently, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had written to the Centre to question hold of soyabean procurement from January 12 to January 31 to screen much farmers, which was accepted by the latter. Fadnavis has besides directed the authorities selling section to commencement preparations for “smooth procurement” of adjacent kharif play crops.

The soyabean prices had crashed successful the run-up to the November 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls. However, contempt wide distress among a ample conception of the soyabean farmers who had to merchantability their crops beneath MSP, the incumbent BJP-led Mahayuti won by a landslide, bagging 230 of 288 seats. The BJP unsocial won 132 seats.

One of the cardinal reasons for the Mahayuti’s triumph was its populist strategy Ladki Bahin Yojna providing women a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500. The Mahayuti besides promised Rs 5,000 per hectares assistance to farmers (up to 2 hectares) to compensate for losses incurred owed to rainfall and hailstorm.