Samyukt Kisan Morcha Rejects Kharif MSP, Plans Village Protests

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella organization representing approximately 500 farmers’ groups, has announced plans to launch protests across villages from May 27 to 31, 2026. The group intends to burn copies of the government order regarding the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for kharif crops. SKM strongly rejected the revised MSP, labeling it a reflection of the Narendra Modi government's anti-farmer stance. They argue that the government failed to implement the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation of MSP at 50% above the comprehensive cost of cultivation (C2+50%), as promised in the 2014 BJP manifesto. Instead, the current MSP is based on A2+FL costs, which SKM claims is roughly 30% lower. For paddy, SKM highlighted a discrepancy where the fair price should be ₹3,243 per quintal compared to the fixed ₹2,441, resulting in significant losses for farmers. The statement also attributed the policy to a surrender to U.S. imperialism and cited rising input costs and fertilizer scarcity as additional burdens on the agricultural community.