Regretfully, Maharashtra Chief Executive Eknath Shinde acknowledged the toll farm turmoil exacted upon the ruling Mahayuti coalition during the Lok Sabha elections, expressing intent to confer with the newly appointed Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan regarding the urgent matter of establishing a fair support price for onion, soybean, and cotton.

Addressing a gathering of the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Price, Shinde disclosed engagements with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on agricultural concerns. “Our challenges stemmed from onion predicaments near Nashik, provoking lamentation in the region, while soybean and cotton issues afflicted Marathwada and Vidarbha,” he divulged. “Discussion on stabilizing support prices for onion, soybean, and cotton with the Union Agriculture Minister is imperative,” Shinde reiterated.

A moratorium on onion exports by the Central government in December of the previous year, aimed at curbing retail inflation, triggered farmer unrest, particularly in the Nashik vicinity. Subsequently lifted in early May, the ban nonetheless bore electoral repercussions, with the Shiv Sena and its coalition partner BJP conceding the Nashik and Dindori Lok Sabha constituencies, respectively. The Mahayuti alliance, encompassing the Shiv Sena, BJP, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP), suffered electoral setbacks, securing a mere 17 of Maharashtra’s 48 Lok Sabha seats. Emphasizing recent developments, Shinde highlighted Prime Minister Modi’s inaugural action on assuming office, sanctioning the disbursement of the 17th tranche of ‘PM Kisan Nidhi’ funds, amounting to approximately Rs 20,000 crore, benefitting an estimated 9.3 crore farmers. Asserting proactive measures undertaken by the state government to promote agricultural welfare, the CM concluded his remarks.