Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has asked the Union government to reconsider its demand to withdraw the additional bonus provided by the state for paddy.
In his statement here, Mr. Vijayan criticized the Centre’s argument that excess production of paddy would entail additional storage expenditure on the exchequer. “The strange rationale that increasing rice production is a commitment to land is tantamount to throwing a challenge to farmers,” the chief minister said.
He also asked the Center to explain whether his demand was an immediate result of the opening of the Indian market to US agricultural products under the recent India-US trade deal. He also accused the Center of making such a demand when it already has pending payments in disbursement of its share of support to paddy farmers.
A letter from the center
At the center of the current controversy is a letter written by the Union Finance Minister to the Chief Secretary of Kerala asking the state to cancel the additional bonus the state provides for paddy.
The Kerala government supported the paddy farmers and kept them close by paying a bonus over and above the minimum support price (MSP) set by the Centre. She procured paddy by paying an additional ₹ 6.31 per kg.
Those who have no qualms about writing off crores of rupees in corporate loans are portraying the farm bonus as a liability and putting pressure on the state to end it, Mr. Vijayan said. This shows a hostile attitude not only towards the farming community but towards the land as a whole, he argued.
Published – 08 Feb 2026 18:05 IST