MP govt procures 59 lakh quintals of wheat, target set at 7.8 MT

Bhopal, April 18 Wheat procurement in Madhya Pradesh has gained pace this season, with the state government stepping up arrangements to handle higher arrivals and ensure smooth purchase at the Minimum Support Price, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Govind Singh Rajput said on Saturday.​

He said the government has increased the daily slot booking capacity at procurement centres from 1,000 quintals to 1,500 quintals. ​

“This will help reduce congestion and ensure that more farmers can sell their produce without delay,” Rajput said.​

The minister said procurement is being carried out on all official working days through 3,171 centres set up across the state. Basic facilities such as shaded seating, drinking water, weighing machines, stitching units, internet connectivity, and quality-testing equipment have been provided to farmers.​

Rajput said wheat is being procured at Rs 2,625 per quintal, which includes the Minimum Support Price of Rs 2,585 per quintal and a state bonus of Rs 40 per quintal.​

He added that adequate gunny bags and storage arrangements have been made, and a mix of jute and polypropylene/high-density polyethene bags is being used for safe storage.​

Sharing progress, he said 5,948,980 quintals of wheat have been procured so far from 136,237 farmers. Payments worth Rs 575.86 crore have been directly transferred into farmers’ bank accounts.

​He added that 461,271 farmers have booked slots to sell 19,692,550 quintals of wheat. The slot booking facility will remain open till April 30.

​The minister said satellite-based verification is being used to detect discrepancies in land records. Slot booking is restricted to affected land parcels, while eligible farmers are allowed to continue without disruption.

​Highlighting participation, Rajput said a record 1,904,000 farmers have registered this year, about 360,000 more than last year.

​“Despite challenges, we have set a procurement target of 7.8 million metric tonnes this year to safeguard farmers’ interests,” Rajput said.​

--IANS

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