Bathinda: The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has accused the central government of failing to protect farmers' needs for urea and DAP. The SKM stated that the government deliberately faltered on foreign policy by failing to ensure the supply of cheap crude oil, natural gas, and LPG to secure the supply of diesel and fertiliser to farmers. It further alleged that the government is raising fuel prices, burdening farmers, and threatening food security.
According to SKM, natural farming, as appealed by the Prime Minister, will reduce crop output by at least 30%. The agriculture minister has openly declared a shortage of fertilisers, which SKM claims encourages black marketeers. The government remains unrepentant about stopping imports from Iran and Russia at the behest of US imperialism, stated SKM in a release on Friday.
SKM has decided to launch a three-pronged attack against the union government while condemning the inadequate increase in Minimum Support Price (MSP) of kharif crops, fraud, a hike of Rs 3.90 per litre in petrol-diesel prices, and the crippling fertiliser crisis as a coordinated, premeditated assault on India's farming community. The SKM stated that the government has surrendered to corporate lobbies, US imperialism, and global agri-chemical cartels.
SKM stated that the government, through the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), continues to use an outdated 2011-12 Wholesale Price Index (WPI), which the union government already froze in 2023-24 with the introduction of 2017-18 as the new base year with different weights. The CACP's reliance on national averages and three-year yield smoothing systematically undervalues production costs, and farmers' own labour is priced at the lowest wage. Most critically, the government refuses to adopt the Swaminathan Commission formula of C2 + 50% (comprehensive cost plus 50% profit), instead using a truncated base (A2+FL) that delivers a fraction of the legitimate price. MSP is less by Rs 2,357 per quintal for cotton and Rs 2,545 for tur, while the government calls this support. Between 2016 and 2025, farmers of 20 major crops lost Rs 27 lakh crore, transferred to millers, exporters, and middlemen. For kharif 2025-26 alone, losses from just four crops (paddy, cotton, soybean, and maize) totalled Rs 2.64 lakh crore, and even 83% of farmers never receive MSP.
SKM demanded that diesel for tractors and agricultural purposes should be made available at subsidised rates by withdrawing the road and infrastructure cess (RIC) of Rs 36 per litre, Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) of Rs 24 per litre, and state VAT ranging between 15-26%, thereby farmers pay Rs 56,500 crore per year in unjust taxes.
SKM stated that under the Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) policy, the central government has cut the fertiliser subsidy, doubling prices of potash and also raising urea prices. DAP price has soared from Rs 1,200 per bag in 2014 to over Rs 2,400 per bag in 2026, MOP (Potash) sells at Rs 2,000-2,500 per bag, and urea is perpetually in shortage, forcing farmers to buy at nearly Rs 500-700 per 45 kg bag. The NBS subsidy policy is to free up market prices with only a limited and fixed government subsidy.
SKM demanded a legal guarantee of MSP at C2+50% with universal procurement, an immediate rollback of petrol-diesel price hikes, and immediate availability of diesel at tax-free rates for tractors and agricultural purposes. It also demanded a reduction in hiked rates of fertilisers, a rollback of NBS, and a guarantee of availability at fixed prices. SKM called for withdrawal from the India-US Interim Trade Deal and rejection of all WTO pressures on MSP. It demanded respect for states' constitutional powers, no coercion or Central Pool withdrawal to punish bonus-paying states, and an immediate write-off of all loans of farmers and agricultural workers.
SKM announced that it will convene the National Council General Body Meeting on June 17 and the All-India Convention on July 28, where discussions will be held to decide the future action plan.
