Farmers dismayed as moong crop procured below MSP
BATHINDA : Initial market trend indicates that the Punjab government’s maiden push for pulse cultivation is facing a tough challenge as most of the summer moong is being purchased up to 30% less than the MSP of ₹ 7,225 per quintal.
As one-fifth of the estimated moong production has hit the mandis to date, 73,000 quintals or 80% of the total produce that arrived in the market was bought by private players below the minimum support price (MSP).
Punjab government has procured 9,902 quintals of about 93,000 quintals sold by farmers so far. For the first time this year, more than one lakh acre area was brought under moong that was over 77% higher than 2021 when 55,000 acres was used to cultivate crop in rabi zaid (third crop sown between rabi and kharif seasons).
Sharp jump in the pulse cultivation after early harvesting of wheat was attributed to chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s announcement of an MSP for moong and assurance to farmers that the Punjab government would lift the crop if they cultivate it.
The lucrative promise comes with a precondition that the farmers will have to take up either PR-126 variety of paddy crop or Basmati cultivation after moong harvest.
Punjab expects to produce 4.50 lakh quintals of moong but the untimely rains last week may hit the production.
Chief agriculture officer of Mansa Manjit Singh said moong is susceptible to attack of whitefly but no widespread pest attack has been reported.
Official record says farmers were paid as low as ₹ 5,000 per quintal, whereas part of the good quality zaid produce also recorded a rate of ₹ 7,445.
Ludhiana is leading with the highest arrival of 70,000 quintals and 61,000 quintals was bought at less than MSP.
“This year I enhanced area under moong by seven acres from two acres in 2021. As my crop is near harvesting, I feel cheated seeing that farmers are being offered less than MSP. Punjab government is shying away from buying moong on various pretexts,” said Nimral Singh from Mansa’s Ralla village.