Gujarat's Groundnut Gold Rush: MSP Procurement Kicks Off

The state government of Gujarat is poised to begin procuring groundnut, moong, urad, and soybean at the enhanced Minimum Support Price (MSP) starting Sunday. This initiative aims to guarantee fair compensation to farmers while bolstering their financial stability, according to Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani, who revealed the details on Wednesday.

The central government has notably raised MSPs to shield farmers from economic adversities, said Vaghani. This year, MSP for groundnut is set at Rs 7,263 per quintal, moong at Rs 8,768 per quintal, urad at Rs 7,800 per quintal, and soybean at Rs 5,328 per quintal, reflecting significant increases from last year.

To support this initiative, Gujarat will source over Rs 15,000 crore worth of these crops from farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA). The scheme will safeguard farmers from underselling their produce, with more than 300 designated procurement centers across the region, adjustable according to needs.