'Not Market Aberration, It's Human Crisis': Siddaramaiah Flags Distress Faced By Bengal Gram Growers

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, urging immediate intervention to support Bengal gram farmers facing severe financial crisis.

In his letter dated January 14, Siddaramaiah stressed that Karnataka’s Bengal gram growers are experiencing a “moment of deep distress", as market prices have dropped significantly below the minimum support price (MSP) just as the harvest season is underway.

He said this “price erosion is not merely a market aberration, it is a human crisis" threatening the livelihoods of small and marginal farmers in districts like Dharwad, Gadag, and Kalaburagi. He detailed the situation in his letter, noting that despite the Centre declaring an MSP of Rs 5,875 per quintal for the 2026-2027 rabi marketing season, actual market rates at major agricultural produce market committee (APMC) have dropped to between Rs 4,260 and Rs 5,813 per quintal. Farmers are being compelled to sell their produce at Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 below the support price, which he described as a “severe and immediate crisis."

Siddaramaiah underscored the importance of the support system’s credibility, warning that “when the declared MSP does not translate into real procurement on the ground, it erodes farmers’ faith in the institutional framework meant to protect them". He said with 9.24 lakh hectares under cultivation and an estimated production of 6.27 lakh MT, the harvest is the sole source of income for many families after months of hard work. He warned that without immediate intervention, there is a “genuine apprehension of further price collapse" as arrivals peak between January and March.

Calling for immediate action, he urged the central government to approve procurement under the price support scheme (PSS) and direct agencies like NAFED to operationalise centres “without delay". He said “time is of the essence", adding that “every passing day without procurement deepens farmers’ losses". He framed the request as not just a procedural necessity but a moral obligation, stating that procurement at MSP “is not merely an administrative exercise, it is an affirmation of the nation’s commitment to the dignity of its farmers".

The state government has assured the Centre of its full readiness to implement the scheme, having issued necessary notifications and committed to managing logistics, warehousing, and transportation. The chief minister concluded his appeal by stating that opening these centres now would “send a strong message of reassurance to rural India that the State and the Union stand together in times of distress", urging the Prime Minister to personally intervene to stabilise markets and protect the agrarian economy.

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