New Delhi: Over five lakh farmers and agricultural labourers have died by suicide in the last 12 years, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha stated, rejecting the Union government’s claims of having doubled agrarian incomes. According to a report by The Tribune, the farmers’ collective criticised Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan’s statement in Parliament that farmers’ incomes had doubled under the Narendra Modi administration.

The SKM alleged that, on average, 31 farmers die by suicide daily due to mounting debt. The body stated that the government's assurance regarding the Minimum Support Price (MSP) remains largely unimplemented, with less than 15% of crops currently being procured at the assured rates.

Speaking to the publication, All-India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) leader P. Krishna Prasad stated that farmers are routinely forced to sell their produce below the MSP. Prasad reiterated the demand for the Swaminathan Committee's C2 formula, which recommends setting the MSP 50% higher than the comprehensive cost of production.

He noted that the C2 formula includes the imputed rental value of owned land and interest on fixed capital, which are excluded from the government's current A2 FL (paid-out costs plus family labour) calculation method.

AIKS general secretary Vijoo Krishnan attributed the ongoing agrarian distress to the policies of the Union government. Highlighting the recent suicide of two brothers in Punjab’s Faridkot district over pending loans from banks and commission agents, Krishnan stated that farmers are being pushed deeper into a financial crisis.

Furthermore, Krishnan alleged that the Union government’s foreign policy amidst the West Asia conflict has exacerbated the agricultural situation, noting that more than half of India’s crude oil is sourced from the Gulf region.

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