Has Madhya Pradesh Procured 77.74 Lakh Tons of Wheat This Season?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Madhya Pradesh procured 77.74 lakh tonnes of wheat this season.
- The procurement began on March 15 at Rs 2,600 per quintal.
- 9 lakh farmers registered for the procurement process.
- Rs 18,842 crore has been disbursed to farmers.
- Sharbati variety of wheat is preferred for its high protein content.
Bhopal, May 13 (NationPress) As the wheat procurement season draws to a close, Madhya Pradesh has successfully secured 77.74 lakh tonnes of wheat, slightly below the target of 80 lakh tonnes.
The procurement initiative commenced on March 15 at a minimum support price of Rs 2,600 per quintal across 3,475 designated procurement centers.
According to Kailash Vijayvargiya, Minister for Urban Development, “Approximately 9 lakh farmers were registered for procurement,” adding, “So far, a total of Rs 18,842 crore has been disbursed to farmers for wheat procurement.
The remaining Rs 18 crore will also be distributed soon.”
Initially, Madhya Pradesh anticipated exceeding the wheat procurement target, expecting to achieve 85 lakh metric tonnes against the projected 80 lakh metric tonnes.
As of last Tuesday, the state had already procured 76 lakh metric tonnes from 8.76 lakh registered farmers, as stated by Kailash Vijayvargiya.
The procurement drive began on March 15, 2025. “Last year, we procured 40 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from 5.85 lakh farmers in Madhya Pradesh,” the minister noted.
Until last week, it was anticipated that wheat procurement would exceed the 85 lakh ton mark.
Additionally, the minister revealed that Rs 16,472 crore has been paid to farmers for their produce up to last week.
To enhance operational efficiency, the state government registered farmers through SMS notifications and allowed enrollment from home via a dedicated web or mobile application.
Farmers also had the option to register at facility centers located in Gram Panchayats, Janpad Panchayats, and Tehsil offices.
The Central government has revised the minimum support price (MSP) for wheat, increasing it by Rs 150 per quintal for the Rabi marketing season of 2025-26, setting it at Rs 2,425 per quintal. However, Madhya Pradesh will offer a higher procurement price of Rs 2,600 per quintal, which includes an additional financial assistance of Rs 175 per quintal.
Madhya Pradesh cultivates certain low-irrigated high-yield varieties like Sharbati and Durum in less rain-fed areas of the Malwa plateau across districts such as Sehore, Ujjain, Narmadapuram (formerly Hoshangabad), Harda, Raisen, and Dewas. Among these, the Sharbati variety is particularly favored due to its high protein content and luster.