83% moong procured below MSP

Bathinda: As against the claims of purchasing moong crop at the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 7,275 per quintal, over 83% crop has been sold below MSP so far in various grain markets of Punjab in the ongoing moong harvesting season.
The farmers, who opted for moong while going by the call given by chief minister Bhagwant Mann to save precious water, are not happy about not getting the MSP. The authorities are either citing more moisture content than the permissible limit or broken or discoulring of grains as reasons in not procuring the crop at MSP.

As per data put up by Punjab state marketing board, 1.32 lakh quintal moong has arrived in mandis till May 29, out of which 1.10 lakh quintal (over 83%) has been purchased by private traders at below MSP. In Jagraon mandi, the biggest trading centre in Punjab for moong, 1 lakh quintal moong has arrived so far and 91,000 quintal has been sold below MSP at as low as Rs 5,500 per quintal (Rs 1,525 less than MSP).
The 65-day-long variety summer moong, which is sown till April-end or early May and start coming to mandis by late June, had been sown in over 1 lakh acres this year up from nearly 55,000 acres last year. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann in an appeal had asked farmers to get three crops in a year by sowing moong and then going in for short variety PR 126 of paddy or basmati to save water.
The procurement is being made by the Punjab state cooperative supply and marketing federation limited (Markfed) which has further roped in primary agricultural cooperative societies (PACS) to make purchases from farmers without arhtiyas (commission agents).
“Agreeing with the call given by chief minister, we had sown moong in 5 acres. But now, we are not getting the MSP as private traders are not ready to give over Rs 5,900-6,000 per quintal for the produce. It should be purchased on MSP,” said farmer Gurdial Singh of Mansa, where the entire 140 quintal moong arrived so far has been sold below MSP.
“We had taken moong to Jagraon mandi, hoping to get better rates, but had to sell it at around Rs 6,000 per quintal,” said Ram Singh, a farmer of Bassian village near Jagraon.
Markfed managing director Ramvir said, “As per the norms, the moisture content should be up to 12%, shriveled grain till 3% and broken at 4%. At some places, the crop has not fulfilled these parameters. Moreover, even if farmers are not getting MSP, they are getting better prices than the previous year when moong was sold at Rs 4,500 per quintal. The Markfed has tried to ensure that no one — the government or farmers and arhtiyas — feels hurt and gets money as per the quality.”