Bhopal, July 29 (IANS) Amid a major farmers’ protest in Bhopal over procurement of moong crop and other agriculture-related issues, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Wednesday said the Centre had approved a record 4.54 lakh metric tonnes (MT) of moong procurement for Madhya Pradesh under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), the highest allocation made to any state this season.
Chouhan’s statement came in response to a letter dated July 28 from Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana, who had sought approval for procurement of 4.54 lakh MT of moong. The Union Minister conveyed the approval in a letter addressed to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
The clarification assumed significance as hundreds of farmers, marching from Narmadapuram, reached Bhopal on Wednesday and staged a protest, accusing the government of failing to address procurement-related issues.
“Madhya Pradesh has received the highest approval for moong procurement in the country this season. The Government of India has been continuously extending maximum possible support to the state under the Price Support Scheme,” Chouhan said.
In his letter, Chouhan mentioned that the Centre had approved procurement of 4,54,580 MT of moong for Madhya Pradesh, accounting for nearly 87 per cent of the total 5,23,243 MT approved across the country.
The Union Agriculture Minister, however, clarified that the Central government does not prescribe procurement targets for states.
“Under the PM-AASHA scheme, approval is granted for procurement up to 25 per cent of a state’s production. Procurement beyond that has to be undertaken by the state government,” Chouhan wrote in his letter.
He said around 60,000 MT of moong had been procured in Madhya Pradesh till July 29 and urged the state government to expedite procurement in the interest of farmers.
Chouhan also pointed out that the Centre had consistently increased the quantity approved for Madhya Pradesh over the years – from 2.75 lakh MT in 2021–22 and 2022–23 to 3.30 lakh MT in 2023–24 and 4.19 lakh MT in 2024–25 – while additional procurement beyond the approved quantity was undertaken by the state government.
–IANS
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