The Madhya Pradesh government has simplified the process of selling agricultural produce prior to the procurement of Rabi crops in 2022-23 by allowing farmers to reserve a slot online and receive money directly into their bank accounts linked to their Aadhar numbers.
Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the Principal Secretary for Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection, held a divisional-level meeting in Indore on Friday to review ongoing Rabi crop procurement preparations for 2022-23.
The meeting, which starts on March 25, has asked collectors and other senior officials from all eight districts to ensure that farmers link their Aadhar numbers to their bank accounts as a condition for selling their crops to the state government at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Farmers can now reserve a slot online to sell their crops at their leisure, whereas previously, sellers had to wait for an SMS to attend a Mandi/procurement center and sell their commodities on a specific day.
“As a result, farmers may now choose a nearby procurement center, day, and time to sell their crops by booking a slot online,” the PS said.
He also stated that all collectors have been instructed to ensure the availability of 50% of bags before beginning Rabi crop procurement in 2022-23.
“Mandis are paying good prices for wheat crops, and the requirement of Aadhar number-based registration could be one of the main reasons,” he said, referring to a lower number of farmers registering for Rabi crops procurement 2022-23 than the previous year.
He continued by saying that more rice is being imported for mills in the Indore division to produce rice bran oil, which is used as cooking oil.
According to a senior government official, the government is considering connecting fair pricing shops with MP Online, the Common Service Center, and other services. Senior officials also considered offering free Wi-Fi, banking correspondents, and the sale of 5kg gas cylinders.