 "Chana not a poll plank in MP anymore")
Chana procurement as a poll plank is missing from all poll constituencies in MP. Earlier, the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party had raised the issue and had tried to corner UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government for its bias towards the state.
“Only 12,700 quintals of chana had arrived till last Friday at various procurement centers across Madhya Pradesh,” a senior officer in MP Marketing Cooperative Federation Limited told Business Standard. The state had expected arrival of 2 million ton.
Though Chana prices for Desi are hovering between Rs 2,010-2,900 per quintal and Rs 2,300-5,200 per quintal for chana Gulabi in local mandi, farmers are still shying away from procurement centres.
State chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had raised the issue ahead of polls in March and met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pranab Mukherjee. He had written to the president and demanded funds for Nafed (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited), the main procurement agency, so that it can procure Chana at minimum support price of Rs 3,100 per quintal.
“Farmers are holding the commodity in anticipation of higher prices during May-June as there is a shortage of crop due to bad weather this year,” a senior official in state farmers welfare and agriculture development department told Business Standard.
Also farmers do not want to run the risk of transporting the commodity to a procurement centre and face tough norms of procurement.
Nafed and MP Markfed stood at loggerheads for months over the issue wherein the chief minister kept on blaming the Central government for its bias towards Madhya Pradesh farmers. Later when top authorities at centre intervened, Nafed and MP Markfed reached an agreement and initiated procurement process since April 1 this year.
“Procurement centers reject the commodity if it has 14% or more moisture... why will farmers go to government procurement centres when they can fetch more price in market?” an official said.
The procurement norms of Nafed are stern in terms of fair average quality. And farmers cannot ensure it -- no moisture, no foreign material and the commodity in proper shape and size.
It was a gimmick played by Chouhan to woo voters of farm community and now it has backfired, said a Congress spokesperson.
“Only 12,700 quintals of chana had arrived till last Friday at various procurement centers across Madhya Pradesh,” a senior officer in MP Marketing Cooperative Federation Limited told Business Standard. The state had expected arrival of 2 million ton.
Though Chana prices for Desi are hovering between Rs 2,010-2,900 per quintal and Rs 2,300-5,200 per quintal for chana Gulabi in local mandi, farmers are still shying away from procurement centres.
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Unseasonal rains during January to March destroyed Chana crop to a great extent, yet state government expected arrival of 2 million ton at various procurement centres.
State chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had raised the issue ahead of polls in March and met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pranab Mukherjee. He had written to the president and demanded funds for Nafed (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited), the main procurement agency, so that it can procure Chana at minimum support price of Rs 3,100 per quintal.
“Farmers are holding the commodity in anticipation of higher prices during May-June as there is a shortage of crop due to bad weather this year,” a senior official in state farmers welfare and agriculture development department told Business Standard.
Also farmers do not want to run the risk of transporting the commodity to a procurement centre and face tough norms of procurement.
Nafed and MP Markfed stood at loggerheads for months over the issue wherein the chief minister kept on blaming the Central government for its bias towards Madhya Pradesh farmers. Later when top authorities at centre intervened, Nafed and MP Markfed reached an agreement and initiated procurement process since April 1 this year.
“Procurement centers reject the commodity if it has 14% or more moisture... why will farmers go to government procurement centres when they can fetch more price in market?” an official said.
The procurement norms of Nafed are stern in terms of fair average quality. And farmers cannot ensure it -- no moisture, no foreign material and the commodity in proper shape and size.
It was a gimmick played by Chouhan to woo voters of farm community and now it has backfired, said a Congress spokesperson.