Bhopal, May 23 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh has procured nearly 100 lakh metric tonnes of wheat so far this season, emerging as the second-highest procuring state in the country after Punjab, while the procurement process continues smoothly across the state.

According to a state government statement issued on Saturday, Madhya Pradesh has also emerged as a leading state in the country’s wheat procurement drive by purchasing wheat from a record 13.1 lakh farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

So far, the state government has directly transferred more than Rs 20,680 crore into the bank accounts of farmers.

Farmers are being paid Rs 2,625 per quintal, including the Centre’s MSP of Rs 2,585 and a bonus of Rs 40 per quintal provided by the Madhya Pradesh government.

Adequate storage arrangements have also been made for the procured wheat.

The achievement has positioned Madhya Pradesh among the states benefiting the highest number of farmers through MSP procurement.

Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister Govind Singh Rajput shared the details and credited the proactive initiatives of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav for the achievement.

He described it as the highest wheat procurement at support price in the last 10 years, excluding the Covid-19 period.

The Minister said the original procurement target of 7.8 million metric tonnes was later revised upward to 10 million metric tonnes by the Central government due to sustained efforts and effective monitoring by the state administration.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has been personally monitoring the procurement operations and conducted surprise inspections at several procurement centres to ensure proper weighing arrangements, availability of gunny bags and adequate facilities for farmers.

During his visits, the Chief Minister also interacted directly with farmers and gathered feedback regarding the payment process and other issues.

In a major relief for farmers, the Chief Minister extended the procurement window till May 28 for those who had already booked their slots.

To streamline procurement operations, the number of weighing scales at each procurement centre has been increased from four to six, while district administrations have also been authorised to add more if required.

The deadline for issuing weighing slips has been extended till 10 p.m., while payment vouchers can now be issued till midnight.

Procurement activities are being carried out six days a week to ensure maximum convenience for farmers.

The state government has made comprehensive arrangements at all procurement centres, including availability of sufficient gunny bags, weighing scales, porters, computers, quality-testing equipment and cleaning tools, the statement added.

–IANS

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