Gandhinagar, Nov 9 (IANS) Gujarat Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani on Sunday inaugurated the statewide procurement of Kharif crops at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) from Dehgam in Gandhinagar district.

The initiative marks the beginning of large-scale government procurement aimed at ensuring fair returns to farmers. Following the inauguration, the Minister interacted warmly with farmers who had brought their produce for sale under the MSP scheme.

Farmers expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel-led state government for purchasing their crops at rates higher than prevailing market prices.

As per the Chief Minister’s directive, the state government has approved the procurement of groundnut, moong, urad, and soybean worth over Rs 15,000 crore at MSP across Gujarat. During his visit to the Dehgam procurement centre, Minister Vaghani inspected the arrangements and reviewed the entire operational process.

Addressing the farmers, he said that the state government is committed to taking every possible step in the interest of the farming community. Farmers welcomed the government’s decision and appreciated the timely procurement initiative.

Notably, while the market price of groundnut hovers around Rs 5,000 per quintal, the Government of India has fixed its MSP at Rs 7,263 per quintal, offering farmers an additional Rs 2,263 per quintal. This substantial difference has encouraged farmers to enthusiastically sell their produce at MSP.

The inaugural event was attended by Dehgam MLA Balrajsinh Chauhan, Chairman of the Co-operative Processing Society Ltd Dhanvantsinh Chauhan, Gandhinagar District Collector Mehul K. Dave, officials from the Agriculture Department, and a large number of beneficiary farmers.

Gujarat has around 43 to 45 lakh farmers engaged in Kharif cultivation, contributing significantly to the state’s agricultural economy. Major Kharif crops include groundnut, cotton, paddy, pulses, and soybean, which together cover over half of Gujarat’s total cropped area.

The state’s diverse agro-climatic zones, from the fertile plains of central Gujarat to the semi-arid regions of Saurashtra and Kutch, support a wide range of Kharif farming activities, making Gujarat one of India’s leading producers of groundnut and cotton during the monsoon season.

–IANS

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