Bihar's Farmers Face Massive Losses with Unmet MSP Promise

Bihar's farmers are facing significant economic hardship, with losses amounting to approximately Rs 10,000 crore in the 2024-25 season alone, according to the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS). The plight of these farmers stems from the government's failure to implement the Minimum Support Price (MSP) based on the C2+50% formula recommended by the MS Swaminathan Commission.

The AIKS states that farmers growing 20 major Kharif and Rabi crops could have earned nearly Rs 3 lakh crore more if the formula had been implemented. Over the past nine years, their cumulative income loss is estimated at Rs 71,000 crore, exacerbated by the closure of the Mandi system in 2006 under Bihar's Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

The AIKS plans to campaign against the Nitish Kumar government, labeling its policies as 'anti-poor.' They emphasize three primary challenges faced by Bihar farmers: lack of mandis, inefficient MGNREGS, and a high number of landless agricultural workers. Meanwhile, the government's PM-KISAN financial support scheme is criticized as insufficient.

(With inputs from agencies.)