The government faces the challenge of ensuring remunerative prices for farmers

23-Oct-2025 03:42 PM

New Delhi. Until a few months ago, the government struggled to control rising food inflation, but the situation has now changed.

Due to massive imports, lower domestic production, and lower-than-normal demand, the wholesale market prices of various agricultural and food products have plummeted, exacerbating farmers' concerns and distress.

Soybean, cotton, pulses, oilseeds, and even maize are being sold below the minimum support price (MSP).

Retail food inflation has been in the negative zone for four consecutive months in September 2025. However, during the 18 months from July 2023 to December 2024, price pressures began to increase as consumer conditions eased.

Good monsoon rains improved domestic agricultural production while also encouraging imports of some products from abroad.

This includes pulses and edible oils, particularly as imports have begun to increase. This often happens after Diwali. Paddy and sugarcane producers are not particularly worried because their buyers are assured, but producers of soybean, peanuts, black gram, green gram,

as well as cotton, are facing huge financial losses due to weak market prices. The government will have to procure these only then farmers will be able to benefit from MSP. This time, a mixed trend in production is expected, but a falling price is being seen in the entire commodity market.