Bhopal, April 10 – Madhya Pradesh's Minister of Food and Civil Supplies, Govind Singh Rajput, stated on Friday that wheat procurement at the Minimum Support Price has seen strong support from farmers.
The Minister revealed that the government collected over 22,521 metric tonnes of wheat from 5,220 farmers within the first two days.
The procurement drive began on April 9 in Indore, Ujjain, Bhopal, and Narmadapuram divisions, while the remaining divisions will begin on April 15, which is expected to further increase arrivals.
Minister Govind Singh Rajput said the response from farmers has been encouraging. He informed that a record 19.04 lakh farmers have registered for wheat procurement this year, which is 3.6 lakh more than last year.
"This shows that farmers trust the government system. We are making all efforts to ensure smooth procurement and timely payment at the Minimum Support Price," Rajput said.
He revealed that the state government has set up 3,171 procurement centers across Madhya Pradesh to make the process easy for farmers. A slot booking system has also been introduced to avoid crowding at mandis.
"So far, around 1.48 lakh farmers have booked slots to sell more than 6.74 lakh metric tonnes of wheat," he added.
Farmers are being paid Rs 2,625 per quintal for wheat, which includes the Minimum Support Price of Rs 2,585 and a state government bonus of Rs 40.
The Minister said proper arrangements have been made for storage and transport. Adequate gunny bags are available, and wheat is being stored safely using jute and other standard packaging.
Rajput said the government is committed to helping farmers and ensuring the entire process remains simple, transparent, and beneficial to them.
Last year, Madhya Pradesh procured about 77 lakh metric tonnes of wheat. This year, the government has set a higher target of 78 lakh metric tonnes despite difficult conditions.