MP expects to procure 85 lakh tonnes of wheat this Rabi season

Bhopal, May 6 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh is poised to surpass its anticipated wheat procurement target, expecting to secure 85 lakh metric tonnes (MT) against the initially projected 80 lakh MT.

As of Tuesday, the state has already procured 76 lakh MT from 8.76 lakh registered farmers, according to the Minister for Urban Development.

The procurement process, which includes weighing exclusively from registered farmers, will continue for an additional five days.

The state commenced its wheat procurement drive on March 15, offering a price of Rs 2,600 per quintal across its 4,000 designated procurement centres.

“Last year, we procured 40 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from 5.85 lakh farmers in Madhya Pradesh,” the minister stated.

He further noted that updated figures were expected soon, with procurement already reaching 81 lakh MT as of Tuesday.

The government now anticipates achieving a total of 85 lakh MT in this season’s yield.

Additionally, the minister announced that Rs 16,472 crore has been disbursed to farmers so far in payment for their produce.

To streamline operations, the state government registered farmers via SMS notifications and provided the option to enroll from home through a dedicated web or mobile application.

Farmers could also register at facility centres located within Gram Panchayats, Janpad Panchayats, and Tehsil offices.

If the anticipated volume is fully realised in mandis, farmers in Madhya Pradesh stand to receive a total support price of Rs 19,400 crore, along with an additional bonus of Rs 1,400 crore.

The Central Government has also revised the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for wheat, increasing it by Rs 150 per quintal for the Rabi marketing season of 2025-26, bringing it to Rs 2,425 per quintal.

However, Madhya Pradesh will offer an elevated procurement price of Rs 2,600 per quintal, which includes an additional financial assistance of Rs 175 per quintal.

Madhya Pradesh grows some low-irrigated high-yield varieties like Sharbati and Durum in the low rain fed area of Malwa plateau in districts of Sehore, Ujjain, Narmadapuram (erstwhile Hoshangabad), Harda, Raisen and Dewas.

Among all these varieties, Sharbati is the most preferred variety as it contains high protein.

--IANS

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