Dewas, Nov 13 (IANS) Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Thursday pressed a button to transfer Rs 233 crore directly into the bank accounts of nearly 1.33 lakh soyabean farmers under the Bhavantar Bhugtan Yojana, ensuring they receive the full minimum support price (MSP) despite lower market rates.

The state-level event in Dewas highlighted Madhya Pradesh’s commitment to farmer welfare in the country’s largest soybean-producing state, often called the ‘soya bowl’.

The scheme compensates the gap between the MSP of Rs 5,328 per quintal and the prevailing mandi rate, currently around Rs 4,036 per quintal. Farmers selling through registered mandis receive the difference — approximately Rs 1,300 per quintal — via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

The state has procured 2.70 lakh tonnes of soybean from over 1.60 lakh farmers so far. Daily model rates are declared to maintain transparency.

As many as 9,36,353 farmers have enrolled themselves under the scheme. An AI-powered portal tracks mandi arrivals, calculates weighted average prices in real time, and triggers automatic DBT disbursements within 48 hours of sale verification.

“This eliminates delays and middlemen,” said a senior agriculture official.

The system uses satellite imagery and mobile apps for crop mapping, enabling precise targeting of beneficiaries across the Malwa-Nimar black cotton soil belt.

Dr Yadav, addressing farmers, reiterated the scheme’s launch in September to shield growers from market volatility. “Madhya Pradesh stands firmly with its annadata (farmers). Every quintal sold will fetch full MSP value,” he assured.

The government plans to expand AI-driven price forecasting to predict global soy trends and advise sowing patterns next season.

In a parallel announcement, the Chief Minister launched the Samadhan Yojana, offering up to 100 per cent waiver on surcharges for over nine million electricity consumers with pending bills of three months or more.

Covering domestic, non-domestic, agricultural, and industrial users, the one-time settlement scheme aims to clear legacy dues and restore an uninterrupted power supply, especially to rural pump sets critical for rabi irrigation.

Farmers at the Dewas event praised the twin initiatives.

“Bhavantar money came within days, and now electricity worries are over,” said Raja Singh, a farmer from Ujjain.

The state targets full procurement coverage by December, with enhanced AI analytics to detect fraudulent claims through Aadhaar-linked biometric validation at mandis. Madhya Pradesh’s tech-enabled farmer support model is being studied by neighbouring states, reinforcing its leadership in agritech governance.

–IANS

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