Bhopal, March 30 (NationPress) The Opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh is gearing up to escalate its criticism of the ruling BJP concerning farmers’ issues, particularly the delays in the procurement of wheat at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the Rabi Marketing Year 2026-27.

To address these concerns, state Congress President, Jitu Patwari, convened a meeting with Shiv Kumar Sharma, a prominent figure in national agricultural movements and former member of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), affectionately known as ‘kakka ji’ in Bhopal, to discuss various challenges on Monday.

During the meeting, Patwari noted that Sharma voiced serious concerns regarding the delays in wheat procurement at MSP in Madhya Pradesh.

He accused the government led by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav of failing to provide jute gunny bags necessary for the organized procurement of agricultural produce, which has postponed the commencement of wheat procurement.

It is essential to note that district administrations and marketing federations are responsible for ensuring the availability of jute gunny bags to facilitate the systematic procurement of paddy and other crops.

This procurement process involves a strategic use of both new and used bags, along with center-wise stock distribution and monitoring by joint teams to prevent black marketing, ensuring farmers do not encounter difficulties.

Patwari further claimed that the delay in procurement has forced many farmers in urgent need of cash to sell their crops at prices significantly lower than the MSP.

“In our discussion with Shiv Kumar Sharma, we addressed multiple issues affecting farmers. The Congress party is committed to raising these matters to expose the BJP government through the upcoming farmers' movement across the state,” Patwari remarked on Monday.

The Yadav government previously announced that wheat procurement at MSP for the Rabi Marketing Year 2026-27 in Madhya Pradesh will commence on April 1 in the divisions of Indore, Ujjain, Bhopal, and Narmadapuram.

Procurement in the divisions of Jabalpur, Gwalior, Rewa, Shahdol, Chambal, and Sagar is set to begin on April 7.

The procurement price for wheat in the state will be set at Rs 2,625 per quintal, which includes an additional bonus of Rs 40 per quintal for farmers.

Over 19,04,651 farmers have registered for wheat procurement at the MSP for the Rabi Marketing Season 2026-27.

Recently, the state government established a Cabinet committee to oversee the procurement process, which includes various ministers such as Karan Singh Verma (Revenue Minister), Uday Pratap Singh (Transport and School Education Minister), Aidal Singh Kansana (Farmer Welfare and Agriculture Development Minister), Govind Singh Rajput (Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection Minister), and Lakhan Patel (Minister of State for Animal Husbandry and Dairy).

The committee will convene regularly and provide recommendations to the Chief Minister in accordance with guidelines from the Centre and the current situation, ensuring a smooth procurement process, which will remain in effect until June 30 of this year.