A day after the Maharashtra cabinet allowed supermarkets and shops to sell wine with some conditions, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday said those opposing this decision are anti-farmer.

The state government had, on Thursday, said supermarkets and shops measuring 1,000 square feet and above can sell wine by paying a licence fee, though norms in place for liquor sale, like minimum distance from schools and places of worship as well as local prohibition laws, will have to be followed. "I do not know whether wine is considered liquor but it is made from farm produce. With its sale, farmers could earn more. Those who are opposing it are in fact anti-farmer," Raut told reporters.

"Is there a liquor ban in the country? Wine is produced from a range of fruits such as grapes, guava, chikoo etc. It (the state government's decision) will give farmers higher returns and help in elevating their economic status. The critics of this decision should understand the economics behind it," he added.

He said the BJP-led Union government must also take such decisions "courageously" to help farmers.