Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], November 5 : Addressing the media about this significant farmer-centric decision, Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani stated that under the guidance of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the Gujarat Government has decided to commence the procurement of Kharif crops including groundnut, moong, urad, and soybean at Minimum Support Prices (MSP) from November 9, a release said.
This initiative aims to ensure farmers receive fair and remunerative prices for their produce while also providing them with economic security.
The Minister stated that, under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Union Government has decided to significantly increase the Minimum Support Prices this year to protect the farmers from economic losses. Compared to last year, the MSP of groundnut has been increased by Rs 480 per quintal, urad by Rs 400 per quintal, and soybean by Rs 436 per quintal. With this increase in remunerative prices, farmers will gain substantial benefits.
The Agriculture Minister said that under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) in the state, it is planned to procure Groundnut, Soybean, Urad, and Moong worth more than approximately Rs 15,000 Crore from the farmers of the state during the current season. This will ensure that the state's farmers will not have to sell their produce at low market prices.
Considering the substantial groundnut production in the state this year, the government has taken a liberal decision to procure up to 125 mann (maund) of groundnut from each farmer as per the prescribed norms.
For the procurement of Kharif crops at MSP in Gujarat, more than 300 procurement centers have been designated across the state, taking into account the total sown area and production of groundnut, moong, urad, and soybean. The Minister added that the number of centers will be increased further if required.
Notably, the Central government had announced the MSPs for Kharif crops even before the sowing season began. As per the announcement, the MSP for groundnut is Rs 7,263 per quintal, moong Rs 8,768 per quintal, urad Rs 7,800 per quintal, and soybean Rs 5,328 per quintal.