Madhya Pradesh procured 5.33 lakh tonnes of summer moong during the 2026 season under the PM-AASHA scheme, nearly exhausting the Centre's total approved quota of 5,39,072 metric tonnes, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Thursday, 27 August. The achievement marks a significant scale-up from the previous year and signals stronger MSP delivery to farmers in the state.

How the Procurement Quota Was Expanded

The Centre had initially sanctioned 4,54,580 metric tonnes of moong for Madhya Pradesh under PM-AASHA. After the state government sought additional allocation to ensure no registered farmer willing to sell at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) was turned away, the Centre approved a further 84,492 metric tonnes, taking the total approved quantity to 5,39,072 metric tonnes.

'The Centre had initially approved 4,54,580 metric tonnes of moong for Madhya Pradesh and, keeping the interests of farmers in mind, another 84,492 metric tonnes was approved. This took the total approved quantity to 5,39,072 metric tonnes,' Chouhan said in a statement.

Year-on-Year Comparison

The 2026 procurement of 5.33 lakh tonnes represents a sharp jump over the summer 2025 season, when the state procured 3,93,123.79 tonnes against an approved ceiling of 4,19,692 tonnes. That earlier season saw procurement fall well short of its approved limit — a gap that appears to have been addressed through better farmer registration and outreach this year.

The procurement was carried out primarily through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF). Officials confirmed that all willing and registered farmers were covered and received the MSP for their produce.

Crop Insurance and Weather Data Systems Reviewed

Chouhan chaired a virtual meeting in New Delhi with Madhya Pradesh's agriculture and horticulture ministers to also review crop insurance implementation. The Centre confirmed it had provided the term sheet the state had requested to implement the restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and asked authorities to expedite the rollout.

The Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS) was also discussed. Officials noted that its implementation in Madhya Pradesh remains pending — a gap flagged as critical for the effective execution of RWBCIS. The Centre additionally recommended reintroducing Crop Cutting Experiments (CCEs) to validate and recalibrate technology-based crop yield assessment models, and proposed a blended approach combining field-level assessments with digital estimates.

What the Government Said

'Procurement, timely payment and an effective crop insurance system are all important for protecting farmers' interests. The Centre and Madhya Pradesh will work together to strengthen these arrangements further,' Chouhan said.

With the procurement period now closed, attention shifts to timely MSP payments to farmers and accelerating the RWBCIS rollout ahead of the next crop cycle.