Punjab CM announces major relief for Moongi cultivators

Chandigarh [India], July 2 (ANI): In a path-breaking initiative aimed at giving a reprieve to Moong cultivators, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced to bear the gap, upto Rs 1000 per quintal, for Moong crop sold below MSP to the farmers for Moongi crop, said the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).
Announcing the decision here on Saturday, the Chief Minister directed the Finance Department to ensure that no deviation from it takes place and every farmer benefitted from it. He said that this incentive is being given to all the Moongi cultivators, including those who have already sold their crop. Bhagwant Mann said that necessary amendment in rules has been made in this regard.
The Chief Minister said that the total arrival of Moong in the Year 2021-22 was 2.98 Lakh Quintal whereas after the state government has announced MSP on the crop the arrival of Moong in the current season 2022-23 is expected to be 4 lakh quintals.
He said that at present Moong is procured by MARKFED for the first time as per MSP worth Rs 7275 per quintal. However, Bhagwant Mann said that he had received reports that due to damage of the crop, it was not being purchased on MSP.
The Chief Minister said that to bail out the farmers, who are not able to sell their grain on MSP, the state government is giving this incentive to them. Giving details, he said that for crops purchased on MSP no incentive will be there, but for the crop sold at Rs 7000 per quintal, an additional support incentive worth Rs 275 per quintal is being given.
Mann said that those farmers who sold Moongi at Rs 6,500 per quintal are being given Rs 775 as an incentive and those who have sold the crop at Rs 6000 per quintal are entitled to an incentive worth Rs 1000 per quintal.
Keeping in view the difficulties faced by the farmers to sell the crop, the Chief Minister said that he has already approved relaxation in existing specifications for purchase of damaged moong crop. He said that the maximum limit tolerance of unripe, shrivelled or immature Moongi has been enhanced to three to eight per cent, that of damaged Moongi has been increased from three to six per cent and that of slightly damaged Moongi has been relaxed from four to seven per cent. Bhagwant Mann expressed hope that these initiatives will give much-needed succour to the hard-working and resilient farmers of the state who have made the country self-reliant in food production by contributing immensely in the national food kitty.
The Chief Minister said that more such steps will be taken in the coming times to make agriculture a profitable venture. Bhagwant Mann envisioned that these decisions will help in supplementing the income of farmers on one hand and enhancing the soil health and saving precious water for the state on the other. (ANI)