Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday, June 20, 2026, announced that the Government of India has granted Madhya Pradesh approval to procure moong (green gram) under the central Price Support Scheme (PSS), enabling farmers in the state to sell their produce at government-assured prices. The announcement was made from Badi, a location in Madhya Pradesh, where Chouhan addressed farmers directly.

Posting on X in Hindi, the minister said: 'Mere kisan bhaiyon, aaj main aapke saath ek khushkhabri saajha kar raha hoon' ('My farmer brothers, today I am sharing a piece of good news with you'). He noted that the Madhya Pradesh government had formally requested central permission for moong procurement, and that the approval would be conveyed from the 'sacred land of Badi' on the same day so that farmers could sell their moong.

Context

Moong is a key kharif pulse crop in Madhya Pradesh, which is among the largest producing states in India. When open-market prices fall below the government-declared Minimum Support Price (MSP), farmers depend on state procurement agencies to buy their produce at assured rates. Without central approval, state agencies cannot operate PSS procurement, leaving growers exposed to market volatility.

The announcement from Badi signals that market prices for moong in the region are under pressure, prompting the state to seek the safety net of central procurement.

Policy Backdrop

The Price Support Scheme has been the primary instrument for pulse procurement since the 1980s, with the central government periodically updating operational guidelines. Under PSS, state governments submit procurement proposals to the Union Ministry of Agriculture, which evaluates them and issues approvals for specific quantities and timelines.

Such centre-state coordination on pulse procurement has become a recurring feature of India's agricultural calendar, particularly for moong, tur, and urad, where production surpluses can depress farm-gate prices sharply. Chouhan, who served as Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh for four terms before moving to the Union Cabinet, is familiar with both sides of this approval process.

Stakeholders and Impact

The immediate beneficiaries are moong farmers of Madhya Pradesh who have harvested their crop and are seeking to sell. With PSS approval in place, state procurement agencies can set up purchase centres and buy directly from registered farmers at the declared MSP, protecting them from distress sales to private traders at lower prices.

The approval also relieves pressure on the Madhya Pradesh government, which faces political accountability for farmer welfare outcomes. Broader stakeholders include pulse traders and consumers, as government procurement can influence local supply and price dynamics in the short term.

What's Next

The operative question now is the speed and scale at which Madhya Pradesh's procurement agencies deploy purchase centres across moong-growing districts. Farmers will need to register and bring produce within the procurement window, which is typically time-bound. The volume of moong the central government has approved for procurement — and the number of farmers who ultimately benefit — will determine the scheme's real-world impact this season.

Observers will also watch whether similar approvals follow for other pulse-growing states facing comparable market conditions, as the centre-state PSS mechanism is designed to be responsive to regional harvest cycles.