Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis attended a high-level review meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday, 27 May 2026, chaired by Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, to address pressing concerns of sugarcane and onion farmers in the state. The meeting was also attended by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, along with Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Ministers and state cabinet members.

Context

Fadnavis, posting on X after the meeting, described the discussions as 'positive' and said they would 'provide significant relief to the state's farmers.' The meeting covered a broad range of issues including the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for sugar, ethanol quota expansion, debt restructuring, interest subvention, and direct procurement of onions from farmers. Maharashtra is among India's largest producers of both sugarcane and onions, and farmer distress in these sectors has been a recurring political and economic concern.

Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, along with several Maharashtra ministers, were present at the meeting, signalling the state government's intent to pursue these issues at the highest federal level.

Policy Backdrop

The ethanol blending programme, operational since 2003, has been a central pillar of Union agricultural policy, with a 20 per cent blending target set for 2025 to support sugar mills and reduce crude oil imports. The meeting discussed 'significantly increasing the ethanol quota within two months' — a timeline that, if met, would directly benefit sugar cooperatives and mills burdened by cane arrears. The Fair and Remunerative Price for sugarcane is fixed annually by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices, and any upward revision to the MSP for sugar would have downstream effects on mill viability and farmer payments.

On interest subvention, a scheme running since 2006-07 that subsidises short-term crop loans, a decision was taken to 'release interest subvention payments immediately,' offering near-term cash-flow relief to indebted farmers. Maharashtra is also set to submit a state-prepared proposal on 'Price Control' (price stabilisation framework) to resolve structural challenges in the sugar industry.

Stakeholders and Impact

For onion farmers, the key outcomes include direct procurement by NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) and NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India), an export surcharge on onion seeds, and a push to increase procurement prices. Both agencies have previously intervened during onion price crashes — notably in 2019-20 — through buffer stocking operations. The replacement of manual grading with 'specialised machinery' is intended to ensure fair price discovery and reduce post-harvest losses.

Mango farmers also received attention: Shivraj Singh Chouhan assured a review of insurance conditions under the crop insurance framework, following a proposal tabled by the Maharashtra delegation. This signals an intent to extend the meeting's relief measures beyond the two headline commodities.

What's Next

The two-month window cited for operationalising higher ethanol quotas and the pending submission of Maharashtra's sugar sector price control proposal are the immediate markers to watch. The release of interest subvention payments is described as an immediate action, while direct onion procurement modalities will need to be operationalised through NAFED and NCCF. Fadnavis closed his post with a commitment: 'Together, we are dedicated to empowering the farmers who serve as the backbone of Maharashtra's prosperity.' The follow-through on these announcements will be closely tracked by farmer organisations and opposition parties ahead of the next agricultural season.