Farmers wait to reap Madhya Pradesh govt's wheat MSP poll promise

The Madhya Pradesh government has kicked off the registration process for purchasing wheat. As no notification has been released, it is understood that the procurement will be done at the Centrally-mandated minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 2,275 per quintal. While this is higher by  Rs 150 compared to the Rs 2,125 per quintal for the 2022-23 season, this has made both wheat producers and farmer organisations unhappy. This is because the announced amount falls short of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's Assembly elections promise of a MSP worth Rs 2,700 per quintal.

“We have given a memorandum to the government to pay Rs 2,700 per quintal to the farmers as promised," Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) State President Anil Yadav told Business Standard. Yadav added that farmers were angry with the current situation and that while registration of government procurement will be done till March 1, "when weighing starts, the anger of the farmers may come to the fore”.
 

Wheat prices are ranging between Rs 2,700 and Rs 3,000 per quintal in the open markets of Madhya Pradesh. If the government fails to give bonus, wheat procurement is likely to fall short of the target.

To fulfill the election promise, the government will have to give a bonus at the rate of Rs 425 per quintal, Yadav added.