Mumbai, Jun 23 (IANS): The recent hike in minimum support prices announced by the Centre is peanuts and could further worsen the agrarian distress in Maharashtra, cautioned a veteran farmer's leader, here on Saturday.

Shiv Sena (UBT)'s Kishore Tiwari said that the MSP for 2024-2025 announced by the government for certain Kharif crops range from Rs 117/quintal to Rs 983/quintal, compared to the previous year (2023-2024).

Citing the official data of Ministry of Agriculture, Tiwari said that the difference in the new MSP for certain crops over the previous year is: Paddy Common and Paddy Grade A with an increase of Rs 117/quintal each; Moong (Rs 124/q); Bajra (Rs 125/q); Maize (Rs 135/q); Jowar Hybrid and Jowar Maldandi (Rs 191/q); Soyabean (Rs 292/q); Groundnut (Rs 406/q); Ragi (Rs 444/q); Urad (Rs 450/q); Cotton Medium Staple and Long Staple (Rs 501/q each); Tur (Rs 550/q); Sunflower Seed (Rs 550/q); Sesamum (Rs 632/q); and Niger Seed (Rs 983/q).

"This is nowhere near the recommendations of Dr. M. S. Swaminathan Commission formula of cultivation costs plus 50 percent profits. The new MSP is just peanuts and will fuel the farmlands crisis, already serious with average 8 farmers’ suicides daily in the past few months," warned Tiwari.

He said that the official figures released by the Centre has not only disappointed the farming community in Maharashtra and elsewhere but has also raised concerns with the fresh drought situation and their existing debt burdens.

Besides, Tiwari said that the farmers are suffering from the impact of global climate change, decline in production, doubling of cost of production and agricultural inputs in the past two-three years, hostile markets and import policy, and ignoring the panels or the farmers representatives before taking the decision on MSP.

He reiterated the demand to implement the Dr. Swaminathan Commission directives in toto to curb the farmland suicides, and announce the fresh MSP to avoid the peasants' ire in the coming state assembly elections.