Gandhinagar, Dec 31 (IANS) The Gujarat government has so far disbursed more than Rs 8,516 crore as financial assistance to 29.30 lakh farmers affected by unseasonal rains, said Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Jitu Vaghani on Wednesday.

Briefing the media after a state cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Vaghani said the Chief Minister reviewed the progress of the agriculture relief packages and procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP).

He said the state government had announced two historic agriculture relief packages within a very short time for districts affected by heavy rainfall.

Under these relief packages, online bills amounting to Rs 8,710 crore have been generated for over 30 lakh farmers so far.

Of this, assistance exceeding Rs 8,516 crore has already been directly credited to the bank accounts of 29.30 lakh farmers, he said.

Providing details of MSP procurement of groundnut, green gram (moong), black gram (udad) and soybean, the minister said that crops worth more than Rs 10,698 crore, amounting to over 14.91 lakh metric tonnes, have been procured from 6.79 lakh farmers across the state.

Against this procurement, payments of more than Rs 6,573 crore have been made to over 4.16 lakh farmers so far. Vaghani further said that groundnut procurement alone accounts for over 14.18 lakh metric tonnes valued at more than Rs 10,300 crore, purchased from over 6.26 lakh farmers.

Of this, payments exceeding Rs 6,362 crore have already been credited directly to the bank accounts of 3.89 lakh farmers.

The minister reiterated the state government’s commitment to ensuring timely relief and fair prices for farmers, adding that efforts are being made to expedite payments and complete procurement operations smoothly.

Farmers form the backbone of Gujarat’s rural economy, with agriculture supporting a large share of the state’s population despite rapid industrialisation.

Gujarat’s farmers cultivate a diverse range of crops across varied agro-climatic zones, including cotton, groundnut, cumin, castor, bajra, wheat, and pulses, along with a strong presence in horticulture and dairy. The state has been a national leader in milk production through the cooperative model led by Amul, providing steady income to lakhs of small and marginal farmers.

Extensive irrigation projects such as the Sardar Sarovar Narmada scheme, along with micro-irrigation, drip systems, and water conservation initiatives, have improved productivity in arid and semi-arid regions.

While farmers have benefited from market reforms, MSP procurement, and technology adoption, they continue to face challenges such as climate variability, rising input costs, and price fluctuations, making agriculture both an opportunity and a continuing policy priority in Gujarat.

–IANS

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