MP: Farmers protest against low procurement price of wheat at Indore market

Bablu Jadhav, the president of Bharatiya Kisan and Mazdoor Sena, alleged that traders had formed a cartel and dropped the prices of wheat to Rs 200 per quintal following the order to suspend government procurement for four days.However, Praveen Garg, the secretary of Laxmibai Nagar Grain Market Traders Association, said, At present, only wheat that had more moisture, garbage and soil than the prescribed standards is being purchased at a relatively low price.

Farmers staged a protest at a grain market in the Madhya Pradesh's Indore on Tuesday claiming that traders were buying their produce at prices lower than the minimum support price (MSP).

The state government had earlier postponed procurement of wheat in Indore, Ujjain, Bhopal and Narmadapuram divisions from March 28-31, citing high moisture content in the crop due to unseasonal rains a few days ago.

However, it had to withdraw the order on Tuesday after farmers created a huge uproar.

Indore district supply controller M L Maru told PTI that the order has been withdrawn and the government procurement of wheat at MSP has been restored in all four divisions.

Farmers who had gone to Indore's Laxmibai Nagar grain market to sell their produce created a ruckus and staged protest alleging that traders were making profits by buying wheat from them at a price lower than the MSP of Rs 2,125 per quintal.

According to eye-witnesses, the police and administration officials rushed to the spot and pacified the agitated farmers and ended the nearly two-hour road blockade. Bablu Jadhav, the president of Bharatiya Kisan and Mazdoor Sena, alleged that traders had formed a cartel and dropped the prices of wheat to Rs 200 per quintal following the order to suspend government procurement for four days.

However, Praveen Garg, the secretary of Laxmibai Nagar Grain Market Traders Association, said, ''At present, only wheat that had more moisture, garbage and soil than the prescribed standards is being purchased at a relatively low price. Good quality wheat is being procured at a price higher than the MSP.” The wheat of a different quality is being purchased in the city for Rs 1,600 to Rs 2,950 per quintal, he said.