Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan addressed concerns regarding farmers’ dissatisfaction over delayed wheat procurement in Madhya Pradesh, particularly in his parliamentary constituency of Vidisha. On Tuesday, he instructed district collectors and senior officials to expedite the purchasing process and ensure adequate arrangements.
Chouhan held a thorough review of the wheat procurement situation via video conference, attended by MLAs from the eight assembly constituencies, including Vidisha, Sanchi, Ganjbasoda, Budhni, Bhojpur, Khategaon, and Ichhawar, as stated by the Union Agriculture Ministry.
While the procurement policy is overseen by the state government from Bhopal, Chouhan urged district officials to coordinate seamlessly with local representatives to ensure that farmers do not encounter any issues. He emphasized the need for systematic and farmer-friendly procurement processes, including the provision of jute or plastic bags at procurement centers.
During a Civil Services Day event in New Delhi, Chouhan highlighted challenges farmers faced during wheat procurement, noting that satellite-based verification had led to discrepancies resulting in some farmers being unable to sell their produce due to claims of growing alternative crops according to satellite data. He communicated his intention to discuss these issues, including difficulties in booking slots and server slowdowns, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Chouhan also suggested potentially extending the procurement deadline and increasing the purchased quantity, even proposing to continue procurement on holidays if necessary.
Although wheat procurement was scheduled to begin on March 15 as authorized by the Centre, the state government commenced purchases only later in the month. As of April 20, the Centre has procured 7.26 lakh tonnes of wheat from Madhya Pradesh, significantly lower than the 47.15 lakh tonnes purchased in the same period last year.
Experts indicated that this represents the lowest procurement levels seen in Madhya Pradesh in years, despite an earlier harvest compared to other northern states. The Centre procured 24.55 lakh tonnes as of April 18, 2024, 31.98 lakh tonnes by April 19, 2023, and 21.58 lakh tonnes by April 20, 2022.
Kedar Sirohi, a farmer leader from Harda district, criticized the Madhya Pradesh government for what he termed “incompetency,” attributing higher procurement rates in other states to local government failures. He announced a tractor rally scheduled for April 28 in Harda, warning that protests could escalate to other districts if the government does not improve the situation.
