Gandhinagar, Aug 28 (IANS) Gujarat Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel announced that farmers in the state can register between September 1 and 15 to sell their groundnut, moong, urad, and soybean crops at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA).
The minister said the advance registration drive has been launched to ensure that the maximum number of farmers benefit from MSP procurement this season.
Farmers will be able to register free of cost through the e-Samruddhi portal at village-level e-Gram centres.
Explaining the rationale, Patel said the MSP system provides a financial safety net to cultivators whenever market prices fall below the government-declared support prices.
“This year too, advance planning has been made for large-scale procurement so that no farmer is deprived of this benefit,” he said.
Last year, the state government procured 23.47 lakh metric tonnes of crops worth over Rs 16,223 crore from more than 8.53 lakh farmers at MSP — a record transaction in Gujarat’s history.
“This year also, procurement of Kharif crops will be carried out in sufficient quantity,” the minister assured, urging farmers to complete their registration in time.
For Kharif 2025, the Union Government has fixed MSPs at Rs 7,263 per quintal for groundnut, Rs 8,768 for moong, Rs 7,800 for urad, and Rs 5,328 for soybean.
Gujarat has around 62–65 lakh farmers, most of them small and marginal, cultivating a wide range of crops depending on the region and soil type.
The state is a leader in cotton production, earning it the title ‘Manchester of the East,’ and also grows groundnut, castor, cumin, sesame, and tobacco as major cash crops.
In the Saurashtra and Kutch regions, cotton and groundnut dominate, while central Gujarat sees extensive cultivation of tobacco, maize, and paddy.
North Gujarat, with its semi-arid conditions, is known for cumin, isabgol (psyllium), and castor, while South Gujarat, blessed with higher rainfall, produces sugarcane, paddy, bananas, and vegetables.
Horticulture is also growing rapidly, with farmers cultivating mangoes (notably Kesar from Junagadh and Gir), papaya, chikoo, and guava, along with floriculture.
Dairy and animal husbandry, particularly under the Amul cooperative model, supplement farm incomes, making Gujarat’s agrarian economy a blend of traditional crops and high-value agriculture.
–IANS
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