Maharashtra election results: tackling agricultural problems helps Mahayuti make gains | India News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: When the verdict of the Lok Sabha elections was announced in June, resentment among farmers in Maharashtra was seen as a major factor behind the BJP’s dismal performance in the state, along with nervousness among Scheduled Caste voters who feared the party could change the constitution if it returned with more than 400 seats. Changing perception has been part of the NDA government’s agenda, especially in the wake of the protests in Punjab.
In the next five months, the BJP-led Center and the MahayutiThe ‘dual engine’ coalition sought to address these concerns, especially those related to onions and soybeans – issues that roiled Maharashtra farmers this summer – with tur growers also coming into focus.
Unlike the general elections, when the Center waited till May to lift the ban on onion exports as it wanted to reassure consumers, in early September it had decided to lift the minimum export price – another tool deployed to ease the shipment of to control sensitive raw materials from the EU. the country.
At the same time, the company built up a stock of the politically sensitive kitchen ingredient, buying 4.7 million tons of onions directly from farmers, up from 3 million tons last year. And this came at a higher average price of over Rs 28 per kg – 64% higher than the Rs 17 paid to farmers last year.
Similarly, within days of coming to power at the Centre, the Modi government announced a 6% increase in the minimum support price (MSP) for soybean to Rs 4,892 per quintal, in view of Maharashtra, the second largest producer after Madhya Pradesh. at a time when market prices were near ten-year lows due to oversupply on the world market. In addition, the Ministry of Agriculture decided to source a quarter of the western state’s products through government agencies, even relaxing some standards.
While dairy has been the other issue, the Center has focused on contracting tur growers, where India is a major importer, along with other pulses such as urad and masur. Though the market prices of tur are higher than the MSP, the move has sought to console the farmers and send a positive message amid the continuous complaints from sugarcane growers.