Bhopal, September 23 (IANS) senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said on Tuesday that the state government has so far sent a compulsory proposal to the central government for the purchase of soybean crops for this year.
Kamal Nath, who is an MLA from Chhindwara constituency, said that the purchase process has already been delayed and this casual approach of the state government can affect farmers in the state.
The Congress leader said that the first state government had submitted its proposal to the Center by the last week of September.
Citing an example during the year 2024, Kamal Nath reminded that the registration of farmers in the state started from 25 September, and the procurement process started from 25 October.
He accused the BJP -led Madhya Pradesh government of casual approach on farmers’ issues.
He said that farmers will struggle at every step – first to sow seeds or get enough fertilizer during crop cultivation, and then to sell their crops.
“It is clear that the BJP government is deliberately delaying the proposal to disturb the farmers. Due to this delay, the reason for the purchase of soybean will be late in the maximum support price (MSP), and in the meantime, farmers will be forced to sell their soybean crops at low rates,” Kamal Nath said in a statement.
The Congress leader also alleged that due to the negligible view of the state government, farmers in Madhya Pradesh suffer a lot of damage and are not getting fair prices for their crops.
He said that at present, the market price for soybean crop is Rs 4,500 per quintal, while the central government has fixed the MSP on soybean at Rs 5,328 per quintal.
Kamal Nath claimed that the state government has adopted a similar strategy on the purchase of moong.
He said, “The government delayed sending the proposal for the procurement of moong for a long time and then some reports were broadcast that moongs purchased from the farmers were poisonous,” he said.
Kamal Nath said that later when the Congress and the farmers staged protests, the state government started the purchase process of moong.
The Congress leader said, “I urge the Madhya Pradesh government to send the soybean procurement proposal to the center on time and ensure that the farmers get a fair price for their crop,” the Congress leader said.
Often known as ‘Soybean State of India’, Madhya Pradesh changed its agricultural identity through soybean farming, with crop earnings like ‘Yellow Gold’ and ’21st century Golden Bean’.
Beyond its economic benefits, soybean has enriched the soil health of the state through its natural nitrogen-fixing properties, which increases fertility and reduces dependence on synthetic fertilizers.
More than only one agricultural commodity, soybean became the backbone of the state’s economic revival, making a significant contribution to livelihood and development of industry.
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