Bhopal, April 26: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh has written an urgent letter to incumbent CM Mohan Yadav, demanding immediate government action to launch summer moong procurement centres across the state before farmers are pushed into distress selling. With market prices already slipping below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) even before the peak harvest season begins, Singh has warned of an impending agricultural crisis that could devastate thousands of farming households in Madhya Pradesh.

Crop Prices Crash Below MSP Before Peak Arrivals

According to Singh's letter, the summer moong crop has reached full maturity across multiple regions of Madhya Pradesh, and a large volume of produce is expected to flood the mandis within days. Despite this, private market rates have already fallen below the government-fixed Minimum Support Price, leaving farmers with no viable safety net.

Singh stressed that crop sowing increased by 15 to 20 per cent this season compared to last year, meaning the incoming volume of produce will be significantly higher. Without timely government procurement, the resulting surplus could drive prices down even further, compounding losses for cultivators who have already invested heavily in inputs.

The veteran Congress leader warned that allowing market forces to dictate prices at this critical juncture would amount to a direct betrayal of the farming community's trust.

Key Administrative Lapse: No Proposal Sent to Centre

One of the most alarming revelations in Singh's letter — sourced from Kedar Sirohi, a former member of the Madhya Pradesh State Agriculture Advisory Council — is that the state government has not yet submitted its annual procurement proposal to the Central government.

This proposal is a mandatory prerequisite for accessing the Price Support Scheme (PSS), the central mechanism through which state governments receive permission and funding to conduct large-scale MSP-based buy-backs from farmers. Without this submission, no official procurement can be legally or financially authorised.

Singh called this an inexcusable bureaucratic lapse, arguing that the administration's inaction has left thousands of farmers completely exposed to volatile private market prices at the most vulnerable moment of the agricultural calendar.

Why This Matters: Farmers on the Edge of Distress

The Price Support Scheme was designed precisely to prevent scenarios like this — where bumper production leads to market gluts and price crashes. When the state fails to activate procurement in time, farmers are left with no choice but to sell at whatever price private traders offer, often well below their cost of production.

This is not an isolated concern. Madhya Pradesh has historically been one of India's top producers of summer moong, and delays in procurement have repeatedly triggered farmer protests and political crises in the state. Critics argue that such administrative delays disproportionately harm small and marginal farmers who lack the storage capacity to wait out price recovery.

Singh's letter pointedly noted that the livelihoods of thousands of farming families hinge on the swift establishment of government procurement centres, and that any further delay in state-centre coordination would constitute a direct assault on rural welfare.

Political Context and Accountability

The letter places the BJP-led Mohan Yadav government in an uncomfortable spotlight, particularly as agricultural distress remains a politically sensitive issue ahead of future electoral cycles. Madhya Pradesh has seen multiple instances in recent years where MSP-related failures have fuelled rural discontent.

Notably, this comes amid a broader national debate about the adequacy and implementation of the MSP framework — a debate that gained renewed urgency following the 2020-21 farm laws controversy. While the laws were eventually repealed, the underlying concerns about farmer income security and procurement efficiency remain unresolved.

By going public with this letter, Digvijaya Singh is not only flagging an administrative failure but also positioning the Congress party as the champion of farmer interests in the state — a narrative that could carry significant weight in rural constituencies.

What Happens Next

Singh has urged CM Mohan Yadav to personally intervene and fast-track the submission of the procurement proposal to the Centre, ensuring that Price Support Scheme approvals are secured before the peak mandi arrival season peaks. Every day of delay translates to real financial losses for farmers who cannot afford to store their produce.

If the state government acts swiftly, procurement centres could be operational within weeks — potentially stabilising market prices and preventing the worst outcomes for cultivators. However, if bureaucratic delays persist, the political fallout could be significant, with farmer organisations likely to escalate protests across the state's agricultural belt.