Chandigarh, Jul 2 (IANS): As Punjab farmers are dismayed with the moong crop being procured below the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 7,275 per quintal, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday announced the government to bear the gap up to Rs 1,000 per quintal for the crop sold below the price.

The Chief Minister said the incentive is being given to all the moong cultivators, including those who have already sold the crop.

As per government estimates, the total arrival of moong in 2021-22 was 2.98 lakh quintals and with the state announcing MSP on the crop, the total production this season is around four lakh quintals.

At present, the crop is being procured by Markfed, a nodal agency for moong procurement, at Rs 7,275 per quintal.

However, Mann said he had received reports that due to damage of crop, it was not being purchased on the MSP.

The Chief Minister said to bail out the farmers who failed to sell the crop on the MSP, the government is giving an incentive to them.

Earlier, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to procure the entire moong crop at the MSP as well as compensate farmers for the loss suffered in selling short to private players.