Madhya Pradesh farmers call off protest after govt hikes moong procurement

The Madhya Pradesh government has agreed to procure 60 per cent of the moong crop from eligible farmers, extend the procurement deadline and suspend the e-token system for fertiliser distribution, leading farmers to withdraw their protest in Bhopal.

The announcement was made on Wednesday night after talks between state government representatives and farmer leaders at the state secretariat. The meeting took place hours after thousands of protesters marched to within about a kilometre of chief minister Mohan Yadav’s residence after demonstrating outside Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s house.

In an official statement, the government said it had increased procurement for each eligible farmer from the existing 25 per cent to 60 per cent of the moong crop in the larger interest of farmers.

The decision will take immediate effect for farmers producing around three quintals of moong per acre in districts such as Narmadapuram, Sehore and Harda. The government said efforts would be made to extend the benefit to the maximum number of cultivators.

The government also extended the last date for procurement from August 10 to August 20. The deadline for slot booking has been extended from July 30 to August 10.

State agriculture minister Aidal Singh Kansana said a committee would be formed to examine complaints and practical difficulties related to the e-token system for fertiliser distribution and recommend improvements.

He said the e-token-based fertiliser distribution system would remain suspended with immediate effect until the committee submits its recommendations and the required changes are implemented.

Some farmer leaders initially insisted on procurement of 100 per cent of the moong crop at the minimum support price (MSP). They said a final decision would be taken after consulting all stakeholders and that the agitation would continue.

However, shortly afterwards, Prateek Sharma, state coordinator of the Rashtravadi Kisan Army, told PTI Video that the farmers were satisfied with the government’s decisions and that all participating organisations had jointly decided to withdraw the agitation.

Additional Superintendent of Police Shailendra Singh Chouhan told PTI that the protesting farmers had accepted the government’s announcements and were returning to their homes. He said buses had been arranged to ensure their safe return from Roshanpura Square.

Earlier on Wednesday, thousands of farmers under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and 18 other organisations breached multiple barricades, demonstrated outside Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s residence and gathered at Roshanpura Square, prompting the state government to begin talks.

The farmers had demanded procurement of the entire summer moong crop at MSP, abolition of the e-token system for fertiliser distribution and timely availability of adequate fertilisers for the next sowing season.

The protest had disrupted traffic on the busy Narmadapuram Road since Tuesday night after the first round of talks between the government and farmer leaders failed to end the deadlock.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan wrote to the chief minister stating that the Centre had already approved procurement of up to 4,54,580 metric tonnes of summer moong for Madhya Pradesh under the Price Support Scheme for the 2025-26 season. He said this accounted for 87 per cent of the total quantity approved across the country under the PM-AASHA scheme.

He also clarified that the Centre does not prescribe procurement targets for states and that procurement beyond the prescribed limit under the scheme has to be undertaken by the state government.