MP govt boosts moong procurement limit to 60%, suspends e-token system

The Madhya Pradesh government has increased the procurement limit for summer moong crop to 60% at MSP. It has also suspended the e-token system for fertiliser distribution and extended the deadline for moong procurement slot booking.

The Madhya Pradesh government on Wednesday announced that it has increased the procurement limit for the summer moong crop from 25 per cent to 60 per cent of produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and suspended the e-token system for fertiliser distribution until further improvements are made.

Moong Procurement Increased to 60%

Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Edal Singh Kanshana said the decision was taken after discussions with farmer representatives and keeping their larger interests in mind. "The Centre had fixed a procurement target of 4.52 lakh metric tonnes of summer moong for Madhya Pradesh this year. In accordance with the Central government provision, it was earlier decided that 25 per cent of the moong produce of farmers in the state would be procured at the MSP. Following discussions with farmer representatives, the state government has decided to procure 60 per cent of the moong produce from every eligible farmer instead of only 25 per cent. In districts such as Narmadapuram, Sehore, and Harda, this is equivalent to approximately three quintals per acre," Kanshana said.

The Minister said the decision would come into effect immediately and that the government would ensure that the maximum number of eligible farmers benefit from it.

Procurement Deadlines Extended

He further said, "To facilitate farmers, the state government has also extended the slot booking deadline for moong procurement by 10 days. Farmers can now book procurement slots till August 10, instead of July 30, while the last date for procurement has been extended from August 10 to August 20."

E-Token System for Fertiliser Suspended

Referring to complaints regarding the recently introduced e-token system for fertiliser distribution, Minister Kanshana said the mechanism was an important reform intended to improve services for farmers in the long run, but acknowledged that practical issues had emerged during its initial implementation. "Since it is a new system and some initial implementation issues have come to light, the Chief Minister has decided to constitute a high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Agriculture Production Commissioner. The committee will examine all issues related to the e-token system and submit its recommendations to the state government. Necessary improvements will be implemented immediately based on the committee's recommendations. Until necessary reforms are made, the e-token system for fertiliser distribution has been suspended with immediate effect," the minister said.

Farmers to Decide on Proposal

Meanwhile, reacting to the government's announcement, a farmer who participated in the talks with the government as farmer representative said that proposal would be discussed with other farmers before a final decision is taken. "The discussion has been about three quintals per acre, and after consulting with farmers, we will decide whether to accept the proposal. I am also the district president of the Rashtriya Kisan Morcha, and I went there to represent farmers' interests. We will take the next step only if the farmers agree. The government has agreed to procure 3 quintals per acre at MSP, and if our fellow farmers are satisfied with this, we will accept it; otherwise, we will continue with our demand," the farmer said.

Notably, the farmers were protesting and marched to gherao the Chief Minister's residence in Bhopal, demanding 100 per cent procurement of moong crop at MSP and withdrawal of the e-token system for fertiliser distribution. (ANI)

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