Former Chief Minister Kamal Nath criticized the Madhya Pradesh government for obstructing farmers from selling their produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP). Nath alleged delays in the procurement process, citing a shortage of gunny bags, which led small farmers to sell wheat at lower prices to middlemen. The government’s rejection of small farmers’ slot bookings based on satellite surveys further added to the confusion.
Kamal Nath highlighted ongoing difficulties faced by farmers in securing procurement slots. He criticized the government’s policy of prioritizing wheat purchases from farmers with less than five acres of land, followed by medium and large-scale farmers. Nath pointed out that this approach disadvantaged small farmers who had already sold their produce, reducing overall procurement volumes.
Referring to official data, Kamal Nath pointed out that while 1.9 million farmers had registered to sell wheat at MSP by April 23, only around 700,000 had successfully booked slots. He criticized the government for what he perceived as mismanagement and a deliberate effort to limit procurement, questioning the target of 10 million tonnes when the state produced 24.5 million tonnes of wheat last year.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced that wheat procurement at MSP would now operate six days a week without Saturday holidays. The deadline for slot bookings has been extended to May 9 to facilitate uninterrupted procurement at designated centers. Yadav assured that the government is committed to supporting farmers and will extend the booking period further if necessary.
