Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The government and farmers are heading for a showdown over procurement of moong (green grams) on minimum support price (MSP).
Agriculture production commissioner Ashok Baranwal said the government had already made it clear that it would not procure Moong. Baranwal said the farmers had used weedicide, which became a major problem.
According to Barnwal, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has said at several places that moong will not be procured at MSP this time. The government has told the farmers’ leaders that weedicide turned Moong into poison, and it will not be procured at MSP, Barnwal said.
But the farmers are in no mood to relent and are ready to take on the government over the issue. According to a leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, Kamal Anjana, the farmers are organising protests in 18 districts across the state.
The farmers have sought time to meet the chief minister, Anjana said, adding that the government should have declared that it would not procure wheat at MSP. Since the centre has announced MSP for procuring Moong, there should not be any problem for the state government to do so, he said.
A leader of the farmers, Kedar Serohi, said the farmers would launch an agitation if the government did not procure Moon at MSP. The Central Government has decided to procure Moong at the MSP of Rs 8,768 a quintal.
The farmers have been offered prices from Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 for a quintal of Moong. As the government procured Moong at MSP last year, the farmers have grown Moong in enormous quantities this year.
According to a rough estimate, the farmers have grown over 20 lakh tonnes of moong this year. It is not easy to sell such a huge quantity of moong in Mandis. If the government does not procure Moon at MSP, it will be a major problem for the farmers. Thus, the farmers are on the path of agitation.
