Madhya Pradesh increases moong procurement limit to 60% amid farmers protest
· Scroll
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After thousands of protesting farmers marched towards Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav’s residence in Bhopal, the Bharatiya Janata Party government on Wednesday increased the procurement limit for moong to 60% from 25% of the state’s estimated crop.
The farmers were demanding 100% procurement of moong at the minimum support price.
Farmer organisations have said that while the Union government has announced full procurement of tur, urad and masur, moong continues to be procured under the price support scheme, in which purchases are capped at 25% of a state’s estimated production, The Indian Express reported.
They argued that the ceiling forces farmers to sell much of their harvest in the open market at prices below the minimum support price.
The agitation began on Monday, when farmers from 19 organisations under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha began a march towards Bhopal from Sethani Ghat in Narmadapuram 75 km away.
On Wednesday, they breached police barricades at several locations in the state capital before reaching Polytechnic Square, which is less than a km from the chief minister’s residence. The authorities blocked their march with buses and additional barricades.
Later in the day, the government announced the decision after talks between the farmer representatives and Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana.
The Union government had earlier agreed to procure 4.5 lakh metric...