NEW DELHI: The issue of agriculture bonuses is set to become a significant talking point during the forthcoming general elections, with resentment brewing among farmers following the BJP’s retraction of its initial commitment to provide bonus amounts in addition to the procurement of wheat and rice at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The newly elected BJP governments in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have opted to offer a mere Rs 125 per quintal bonus to wheat farmers, significantly less than the Rs 425 per quintal promised above the MSP. During the assembly elections in October 2023, the Central government campaigned with a promise of purchasing wheat at Rs 2,700 per quintal from farmers in these states under ‘Modi ki guarantee’, further pledging Rs 3,100 per quintal.
A growing sense of dissatisfaction among farmers is fuelling the current protests, stemming from the party’s failure to fulfil its promise. “Farmers have voiced their discontent regarding the unfulfilled promises,” said Ram Inania, a farmer leader from Harda district in Madhya Pradesh.
“They have conveyed their grievances through memorandums to local authorities across various districts, even as they remain preoccupied with the wheat harvest,” said Inania, representing Aam Kisan Union.
On March 11, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared a bonus of Rs 125 per quintal on wheat purchases, totalling an expenditure of about Rs 3,850 crore for the year. With the Centre setting MSP for wheat at Rs 2,275 per quintal for the current rabi season, farmers in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan will now receive Rs 2,400 per quintal. This decision is expected to have a ripple effect in other wheat-producing states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab, where farmers’ protests are notably intense.