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Despite record 4 lakh quintals moong produce, 86% bought below MSP in Punjab
Whereas of the total production of moong, farmers were paid less than MSP for 3.46 lakh quintals sold to the private buyers. Market watchers say farmers were paid less than MSP due to the strict parameter of grains
: For the first time, Punjab produced a record 4.05 lakh quintals of summer moong, even as a whopping 86% of the total production was bought below the minimum support price (MSP) of ₹ 7,275.
Purchase season of moong started on June 1, and culminated on July 31.
As per the database of the Punjab Mandi Board, 4.05 lakh quintal legumes arrived across the state and 3.56 lakh quintal was bought by private parties. Government’s share of purchase was only 48,000 quintals and the entire stock was bought on the MSP.
Whereas of the total production, farmers were paid less than MSP for 3.46 lakh quintals sold to the private buyers. Market watchers say farmers were paid less than MSP due to the strict parameter of grains.
“High moisture content remained the main factor followed by the size of the grain and discolouration due to climatic reasons. But the overall trend was encouraging as Punjab met the estimated target of production,” says a mandi board functionary.
Official data says Ludhiana, the traditional producer of moong, led the state in legume production with 2.42 lakh quintals.
Total of 2.30 lakh quintals was bought by private players in the district below MSP, while state authorities bought only 4,600 quintals.
As per the purchase records complied by the mandi authorities of all districts for the last day of purchase, Mansa recorded the arrival of 56,000 quintals followed by Barnala (26,000 quintals) and Moga (23,000 quintals).
This year, farmers showed a significant interest in the rabi zaid (third crop sown between rabi and kharif seasons) when Punjab witnessed a surge of 80% under moong as compared to 2021. Last year, 2.98 lakh quintal legume was produced in the state.
Provisional estimates of the state agriculture authorities say about 1.25 lakh acres was brought under green gram, the highest in the last five years.
Experts attribute the surge to chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s announcement of MSP for green gram and assurance to farmers that the Punjab government would lift the crop if they cultivate it.
The lucrative promise comes with a precondition that the farmers will have to take up either PR-126 variety of paddy crop or Basmati cultivation after moong harvest.
Also, with early wheat harvest caused by early maturing of the crop due to a sudden surge in temperature, farmers in Punjab took up the high-value cash crop on the vacant fields.
To streamline the maiden legume purchase operation, the state government roped in Markfed.
However, the market trend was very dismal since the beginning as farmers were paid less than the MSP. On July 3, the CM announced to bear the gap of up to ₹ 1,000 per quintal for the moong sold below MSP to the farmers.
