Bhopal, April 3 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Govind Singh Rajput announced that a record 19 lakh 4 thousand farmers have registered this year for procurement at minimum support price (MSP), which is 3 lakh 60 thousand more than last year.
The registered area has also seen a significant jump, reaching 41.58 lakh hectares — an increase of 6.65 lakh hectares compared to the previous year.
Addressing the media, Minister Rajput said that all arrangements for procurement at the support price are being made on time.
“The Madhya Pradesh government is a farmer-friendly government and is committed to ensuring maximum benefit to farmers,” he said.
This year, the government is providing farmers with an MSP of ₹2,585 per quintal for wheat along with an additional ₹40 per quintal discount, enabling them to get the best possible price for their produce.
Rajput informed that the procurement process has been started in a phased manner to avoid any delay for farmers. Procurement will begin on April 10, 2026, in the Dewas, Mandsaur, Bhopal, and Narmadapuram divisions, and on April 15, 2026, in the remaining divisions.
He added that the revenue department is rapidly verifying the registered land records of farmers. Once verification is complete, the scale-to-stock process will begin, allowing farmers to deliver their produce without hassle.
The minister said the government has set a target to procure 78 lakh tonnes of wheat this year. Last year, nearly 77 lakh tonnes were procured at MSP.
Regarding the gunny bag (bardana) issue, Rajput clarified that the Central Government has provided an additional 50,000 jute bags for Madhya Pradesh. Arrangements for HDPE/PP bags and single-use bags have also been made.
He assured that sufficient bardana (sacks) will be available before the start of procurement.
The minister further informed that in godowns with limited storage capacity, a joint participation scheme has been proposed to increase capacity up to 120 per cent. Additionally, as per Central government instructions, the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana will be implemented simultaneously from March-April to May-June 2026, freeing up more than 10 lakh tonnes of additional storage space.
He highlighted that Madhya Pradesh has the highest covered storage capacity in the country at around 400 lakh tonnes, out of which 103 lakh tonnes is currently vacant — more than sufficient for this year’s procurement target.
Rajput also assured that despite the ongoing war in West Asia affecting global supply chains, coordination between the Centre and the state government has ensured regular supply of petrol, diesel, and other essential commodities, with no shortage reported in the state.
Meanwhile, Congress state president Jitu Patwari alleged that the government is using the ongoing war as an excuse to delay wheat procurement.
He pointed out that while 100 million gunny bags were required for 2026, the state government had ordered only 26 million, creating a massive shortfall of around 75 million.
He clarified that under the Jute Act, the state government must submit its requirements and make an advance payment to the Centre on time. However, the government failed to do so, resulting in the acute shortage of jute gunny bags.
“This shortage is not due to war or any external factor, but is a direct result of the government’s inaction and negligence,” Patwari said, adding that the crisis is “manufactured by the government.”
He further stated that India is the world’s second-largest producer of jute after Bangladesh, so any shortage due to war would affect plastic (PP) bags, not jute sacks.
Due to repeated postponement of procurement dates — from March 16 to April 1, then to April 10, and possibly further — farmers were forced to sell their produce to traders at distress prices, causing nearly 50 per cent of them to default on their loans.
–IANS
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