Khandwa farmers protest soybean price drop

Farmers in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, staged a protest at the agricultural produce market after soybean prices dropped significantly due to a massive influx of supply. Approximately 1,800 vehicles arrived at the mandi in a single day, causing prices to fall from roughly 7,000 rupees per quintal on Thursday to around 6,200 rupees on Friday.

Angry farmers halted the auction process for about an hour, accusing traders of exploiting the high volume of arrivals to manipulate prices. Following mediation by market officials, traders agreed to increase prices by 300 to 500 rupees per quintal. By the end of the day, soybean prices ranged between 6,200 and 6,777 rupees per quintal.

The sudden surge in arrivals also caused significant traffic congestion around the market premises, forcing farmers from distant villages to wait for several hours. By 5:00 PM, officials reported that the produce of approximately 1,553 farmers had been purchased.