Madhya Pradesh Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana on Wednesday assured farmer representatives that the state government would take necessary steps to address their concerns, including issues related to moong procurement, amid an ongoing agitation over farmers’ demands in the state.
According to a Madhya Pradesh government press release, Kansana met representatives of farmer organisations in Bhopal and heard their grievances in detail. He said the government was sensitive to the legitimate demands of farmers and would take prompt and positive action to resolve the issues.
The minister said the state government remained committed to protecting farmers’ interests and had directed officials to address their concerns on a priority basis, particularly with regard to moong procurement and related matters.
Minister urges dialogue, assures priority action
During the meeting at the state secretariat, farmer representatives outlined their demands and highlighted issues affecting procurement. Kansana assured them that all points raised during the discussions would be examined seriously and coordinated action would be taken with the concerned departments to arrive at an early resolution.
Appealing to farmers to maintain peace, the minister said the government and the farming community were partners in the state’s development. He said the government’s objective was to ensure that farmers received remunerative prices for their produce while preventing unnecessary inconvenience during the procurement process.
Kansana expressed confidence that continued dialogue and constructive engagement would help resolve the issues quickly and further strengthen the procurement system in the state. Agriculture Secretary Nishant Barbade and officials of the agriculture department were also present during the discussions, along with representatives of farmer organisations, the government press release stated.
Centre urged to raise procurement ceiling
Following the meeting, the agriculture minister wrote to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan requesting an increase in the procurement target for summer moong under the Price Support Scheme for the 2026-27 marketing season.
According to the letter cited in the government release, summer moong is cultivated across about 14.30 lakh hectares in Madhya Pradesh. Based on the previous year’s final estimates and the third advance estimates for the current year, the crop’s productivity is estimated at around 1,410 kg per hectare, resulting in an expected production of about 20.16 lakh metric tonnes.
The state government noted that while the Centre had fixed a procurement target of 4.19 lakh metric tonnes last year, Madhya Pradesh had procured 7.72 lakh metric tonnes of summer moong.
Kansana said farmers needed wider access to procurement at the minimum support price (MSP) to ensure better returns and encourage continued pulse cultivation. He requested the Centre to revise the procurement target to 8.06 lakh metric tonnes – equivalent to 40% of the state’s estimated production – by reallocating any unutilised national procurement quota available from other summer moong-producing states, according to the government press release.
Why are farmers protesting and what are their key demands?
Hundreds of farmers from across Madhya Pradesh marched to Bhopal this week, staging an overnight protest and attempting to march towards the Chief Minister’s residence over issues related to moong procurement. The protest disrupted traffic on Narmadapuram Road, prompted heavy police deployment and led to schools in nearby areas being closed. Protesters, many travelling with tractor-trolleys carrying food and water, said they would continue the agitation until their demands were addressed.
The farmers’ principal demands include 100% procurement of summer moong at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), resolution of issues related to the e-token system used for procurement, and timely availability of fertilisers. Following talks with farmer representatives, Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana assured them that the government would work towards resolving their concerns and later wrote to the Centre seeking an increase in Madhya Pradesh’s moong procurement target under the Price Support Scheme. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced the formation of a ministerial committee to continue dialogue with the protesting farmers.
