Bhopal, Apr 19 (IANS): The Madhya Pradesh government has procured 15 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from 2 lakh farmers in the state on a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 1,840 per quintal since March 25. This is 1.60 lakh metric tonnes more than the purchase made over the same period last year. At least 71 per cent of the purchased wheat has also been carefully stored.

The Centre has fixed the MSP at Rs 1,840 per quintal, up from 1,735 per quintal last year. The Kamal Nath-led Congress government in the state is also offering an incentive of Rs 160 per quintal to the wheat farmers over and above the MSP under its ‘Jai Kisan Samriddhi Yojana'.

The state government says that input costs have increased and the MSP does not suffice. Together, the farmers are being paid Rs 2,000 per quintal of wheat and the payments are being made directly into their accounts.

According to officials of the Department of Food & Public Distribution, some 600 procurement centres have been set up in the state this year. Sufficient silo bags have also been procured to ensure that there are no problems in the purchase in the next month too. Silo bags (large polythene bags which can be filled and locked airtight) with a storage capacity of 4 lakh metric tonnes are being used.

Open camps, with 14 lakh metric tonnes capacity, have been set up in places lacking in storage space. The state government has also ordered the removal of last year's wheat from warehouses that still have it.

Unseasonal rain and hailstorms over the past few days have damaged the harvest kept in several grain markets. Officials have been ordered to avoid such open storage of grain.