Maharashtra: Farmers withhold soyabean stock, hope for prices above Rs 8,000 per quintal

State Agriculture Minister Dadasaheb Bhuse has directed the krishi kendras to monitor the sale of soyabean in APMCs to ensure that farmers are not exploited or are forced to part with crops at a lower price. The MSP for soyabean for 2021-22 is set at Rs 3,950 per quintal.

On Saturday, farmers got Rs 8,000 per quintal for soyabean at the Akola APMC in Vidarbha. At Latur APMC in Marathwada, soyabean fetched Rs 6,700 per quintal, The rates at Washim APMC was lowest at Rs 6,000 per quintal, Hingoli Rs 6,200 per quintal and Yavatmal Rs 6,300 per quintal.

However, 40 to 45 lakh farmers from the Vidarbha and Marathwada region are expecting higher prices. As a result, they are not parting with their entire stock in APMC.

The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana chief Raju Shetti said, “The Centre’s decision to import 1.2 million metric tonnes of deoiled genetically-modified soyacake lead to a sudden crash in the soyabean prices. It has an adverse impact on domestic prices and income of farmers.”

In August, the soyabean prices were Rs 8,800 per quintal. After the Centre’s decision, it came down to Rs 4,500 per quintal.

Although soyabean prices in the last three months have improved it has not steadied. Last year, the cash crop created a record fetching as high as Rs 10,000 per quintal in Latur, Akola and Rs 11,000 in Nanded.

The growing demand for the deoiled soya cake and oil at international markets has encouraged farmers to increase the area for soyabean cultivation.

The sources in the agriculture ministry said, “The kharif sowing indicated that farmers were banking on soyabean financially. This can be seen from the increase in area under soyabean cultivation to 44 lakh hectares.”

Last year, the area under soyabean cultivation was 40 lakh hectares. But, the cyclone and incessant rainfall lead to crop loss compounding the crisis for farmers especially the small and marginal segment in the Vidarbha and Marathwada region.