Paddy farmers face severe losses over denied Swaminathan MSP formula

Farmers in India grow a crop called paddy, which is rice.

The government sets a minimum support price, or MSP, which is the lowest price at which farmers can sell their crop safely.

A big group of farmers called the Samyukt Kisan Morcha says this price is too low.

A famous scientist, M S Swaminathan, suggested a formula that counts everything a farmer spends, including rent for land and interest on loans.

The farmers' group says the government promised in 2014 to use Swaminathan's formula but did not.

Because of this, the group says a farmer with five acres loses about Rs 1.5 lakh every growing season.

For 2026-27, the group says paddy should be bought at Rs 3,243 per quintal instead of the fixed Rs 2,441 per quintal.

The group says these losses add up to about Rs 3.07 lakh crore across the whole country.

The group wants the government to fix this and has asked farmers to protest on August 10 by filling jails and blocking roads and railways, with more marches starting in November.