Since 13 February 2024, numerous farm unions in India have been engaged in a strike, advocating for a legislation on floor pricing, also known as the minimum support price, for their agricultural produce. In this story, we look at the trends in the production and procurement of food grains and look at some of the underlying issues in farming. Since 13 February 2024, numerous farm unions in India have been engaged in a strike, advocating for legislation on floor pricing, also known as the minimum support price, for their agricultural produce. The ongoing protests involve tens of thousands of Indian farmers reviving a movement that successfully led to the repeal of contentious agricultural laws in 2021. Two years after concluding a large-scale protest, Indian farmers have returned to the streets, emphasizing the necessity of guaranteed prices for their crops. Farmers assert that their primary demand, the enactment of minimum support price legislation, would ensure sustainable rates for their crops, providing them with fair earnings. Over 60% of India’s population relies primarily on agriculture for their livelihoods, despite the sector contributing less than 20% to the nation’s economic output. Persistent issues such as debts and bankruptcy have driven farmers to alarming rates of suicide. There is a consensus that India’s previous system, which encouraged farmers to produce an excessive surplus of grains, requires rectification. However, the means and methods of such rectifications are complex, with no easy answers. Unfortunately, more attention is being laid on farmers and protests rather than the core underlying issues. In this story, we look at the trends in the production and procurement of food grains and look at some of the underlying issues in farming. MSP over the years- Wheat and Paddy among the least gainers Since the “Green Revolution” in the 1960s, the Indian government has operated a program guaranteeing farmers a fixed price for specific crops. Coupled with advancements in farming technology, this system has played a crucial role in transforming India from widespread hunger to consistently achieving substantial annual food surpluses. The Government of India announces the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) as per the recommendation of the Commission of Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), before every harvest (Rabi/kharif season). The data on MSPs since the marketing year 2010-11 show that over the past 14 years, the MSPs of crops have grown with varying growth rates. Crops such as Ragi and Jowar registered over 200% growth, while crops such as Bajra, Maize, Barley, and Paddy registered over 100% growth. Wheat is the crop that registered the least growth, with only a 93% rise during the same period. In terms of CAGR, MSP for Ragi grew at 10.4%, followed by Jowar at 9.5%, Maize at 6.4%, Barley at 6.2%, Paddy at 5.6%, and wheat at 4.8%. Rice and Wheat production up by 30%, while Jowar and Ragi register decline in production. In terms of production among the major food grains, between 2014-15 and 2022-23, it is observed that Rice production grew from 105.5 million Tonnes to 135.8 million Tonnes, marking a 29% rise. During the similar period, Wheat production grew from 85.6 million Tonnes to 110.6 million Tonnes, showing a 28% rise. Similarly, Maize production rose from 24.2 million Tonnes to 38 million Tonnes, rising by almost 60%. However, Jowar production declined from 5.5 million tonnes to 3.8 million tonnes, marking a 30% decline. Similarly, Ragi production too declined from 2.1 million tonnes to 1.7 million tonnes, marking an 18% decline. Procurement of rice and wheat see decline in last two years. The procurement of food grains is a crucial element in achieving the goal of making food grains available to the poorer sections at reasonable prices and guaranteeing a Minimum Support Price (MSP) to the farmers. This process plays a vital role in effective market intervention, controlling prices, and contributing to the broader food security of the nation. The Food Corporation of India (FCI), as the primary central agency of the Government of India, collaborates with various state agencies to carry out the procurement of wheat and paddy. The data on procurements show that procurement of rice and wheat has fallen in the last two years. During the marketing year 2011-12, the procurement of rice stood at 35.1 million Tonnes, rising to a highest of 60.2 million tonnes during the COVID-19 pandemic period from 2020-21. However, the procurement fell in the following two consecutive marketing years. Similarly, the procurement of wheat was at 28.3 million tonnes in 2011-12, rising to a highest of 43.3 million tonnes in 2021-22. Post 2021-22, the procurement of wheat declined by more than half.