New Delhi [India], August 27 (ANI): Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday held a virtual review meeting with the Agriculture and Horticulture Ministers of Madhya Pradesh at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi.
The meeting reviewed the procurement of summer Moong in Madhya Pradesh, the benefits of Minimum Support Price for farmers, and issues related to the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, according to a release.
During the meeting, Chouhan said that, at the request of the Madhya Pradesh government, the Government of India had initially approved the procurement of 4,54,580 metric tonnes of summer Moong for the 2026 season. Subsequently, keeping farmers' interests in mind, an additional 84,492 metric tonnes was approved. The additional approval did not impose any financial burden on the state government.
The release said that the total approved procurement quantity of summer Moong for Madhya Pradesh in the 2026 season stood at 5,39,072 metric tonnes. The procurement period has now ended, with the state recording procurement of 5.33 lakh metric tonnes of Moong. The procurement remained within the approved limit, and all willing and registered farmers were able to sell their available produce. The procurement enabled farmers to receive a fair price for their produce at MSP, providing them with direct financial benefit.
Procurement operations were carried out mainly through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Limited (NCCF), with particular emphasis on timely payments to farmers and maintaining transparency throughout the process. The procurement also contributed to strengthening the rural economy.
As per the release, Madhya Pradesh also recorded improved performance in Moong procurement compared to the previous year. During summer 2025, against an approved quantity of 4,19,692 metric tonnes, the state had procured 3,93,123.79 metric tonnes. In summer 2026, both the approved quantity and actual procurement increased. Chouhan said the improvement reflected greater support for farmers and increased confidence in the market.
The meeting also reviewed the implementation of the Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) in Madhya Pradesh under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. The state government had requested the finalisation of the term sheet for implementing the scheme. Shivraj Chouhan said the Central Government had taken the necessary steps in this regard, provided the term sheet to the state government, and urged its early implementation.
The meeting also reviewed progress on the implementation of the Weather Information Network and Data System (WINDS) in Madhya Pradesh. The concerned Central department has written to the state government from time to time regarding implementation of the system, but its rollout in the state is still pending. Officials noted that effective implementation of RWBCIS would be difficult without WINDS and stressed the need to operationalise the system at the earliest.
The meeting also discussed the use of technology-based yield assessment under PMFBY. Madhya Pradesh is currently using technology-based yield assessment for major crops. The Central Government suggested reintroducing Crop Cutting Experiments to enable ground-truthing and recalibration of technology-based models.
A blended approach, combining technology-based assessments with field-level data, was also recommended to improve coordination and enhance the reliability of yield assessment. Chouhan said the Central and state governments would work together to further strengthen procurement, payment and crop insurance systems in the interest of farmers. He said that timely procurement, assured MSP and an effective crop insurance system are essential to strengthening farmers' incomes and their confidence in the agricultural market. (ANI)
Shivraj Singh Chouhan reviews summer moong procurement and crop insurance implementation in Madhya Pradesh
