Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah has pledged swift assistance to address concerns of sugarcane and onion farmers in Maharashtra. The Central government is set to implement policies including raising sugar’s Minimum Selling Price, expanding ethanol quotas, restructuring cooperative loans, and procuring onions directly from farmers. Fadnavis expressed contentment with the discussions, emphasizing the need for an increase in sugar MSP to sustain the cooperative ecosystem.
Union Minister Amit Shah acknowledged the necessity of a price hike and requested a formal regulatory price proposal from the state government. Additionally, the Centre will enhance the state’s ethanol procurement quota and collaborate on restructuring loans for distressed sugar factories. Immediate release of pending interest subvention funds was also approved to alleviate liquidity issues.
To tackle onion market volatility, structural reforms in procurement operations by central agencies like NAFED and NCCF are underway. Maharashtra’s proposal for direct onion procurement from farmers and a surge in procurement targets are being considered positively. Measures to impose export surcharges on onion seeds to protect domestic cultivation and digitize grading processes for fair pricing were also discussed.
Furthermore, efforts are being made to address challenges faced by mango cultivators, particularly Alphonso growers, regarding stringent crop insurance conditions. The delegation highlighted issues with compensation during climate-related disruptions. Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured a meeting with insurance companies to simplify norms and resolve grievances for farmers.
