Bhopal, March 29 Madhya Pradesh's Food and Civil Supplies Minister Govind Singh Rajput said on Friday that the state government has procured wheat valued at more than Rs 757 crore till now at a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,600 per quintal.
He added that wheat procurement has started two weeks ago and more than 5.8 lakh metric tonnes of wheat have been procured from around 75,000 registered farmers in the state at the MSP.
"Payment for the procured wheat is also being made from time to time to the farmers. So far, Rs 7,57,36,00,000 has been paid to the farmers," the Minister said in a statement.
The state government anticipates procuring nearly 80 lakh tonnes of wheat this Rabi season, he added.
Official government data indicates that wheat sowing in Madhya Pradesh ranges between 6.4 million and 9.5 million hectares annually.
The Minister said that, so far this year, around 15 lakh farmers have registered for the sale of wheat at the MSP.
The last date for registration is March 31, he added.
Madhya Pradesh is known for its high-protein wheat varieties, like Sharbati and Durum, which are in demand both domestically and globally.
According to official sources, around 4,000 centres have been set up across the state to facilitate procurement of wheat.
The government has sent SMS notifications to registered farmers and enabled online registration via a dedicated web portal and mobile app, the Minister said.
Additionally, registration facilities are available at gram panchayats, janpad panchayats, and tehsil offices.
The Madhya Pradesh government has announced to provide MSP on wheat at Rs Rs 2,600 per quintal, which includes additional assistance of Rs 175 per quintal to the farmers, the Minister added.
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