Wheat procurement in Madhya Pradesh has seen an increase this season, with the state government improving arrangements to handle higher arrivals and ensure smooth purchase at the Minimum Support Price. The Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection Minister, Govind Singh Rajput, mentioned that the daily slot booking capacity at procurement centers has been raised from 1,000 quintals to 1,500 quintals. This adjustment aims to reduce congestion and facilitate more farmers in selling their produce promptly.
Procurement activities are ongoing on all official working days through 3,171 centers established across the state. Essential amenities such as shaded seating, drinking water, weighing machines, stitching units, internet connectivity, and quality-testing equipment have been provided to farmers. Wheat is being procured at Rs 2,625 per quintal, inclusive of the Minimum Support Price of Rs 2,585 per quintal and a state bonus of Rs 40 per quintal. Additionally, adequate gunny bags and storage arrangements have been ensured, utilizing a combination of jute and polypropylene/high-density polyethylene bags for safe storage.
As per the latest progress update, 5,948,980 quintals of wheat have been procured from 136,237 farmers, with payments totaling Rs 575.86 crore directly transferred to farmers’ bank accounts. Furthermore, 461,271 farmers have booked slots to sell 19,692,550 quintals of wheat, with the slot booking facility open until April 30. The minister highlighted the use of satellite-based verification to identify discrepancies in land records, restricting slot booking to affected land parcels while allowing eligible farmers to continue without interruption.
Notably, a record 1,904,000 farmers have registered this year, marking an increase of about 360,000 compared to the previous year. Despite challenges, the government has set a procurement target of 7.8 million metric tonnes this year to protect farmers’ interests.
