Even as Chief Minister Mohan Yadav sought to contain one of the biggest farmers’ agitations of his tenure through negotiations and the formation of a ministerial panel, the Centre on Wednesday publicly pushed back against the Madhya Pradesh government’s contention that the moong procurement crisis stemmed from inadequate approvals from New Delhi.In a detailed letter to Yadav, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan defended the Centre’s procurement policy and argued that the immediate challenge lay not with the quantum approved by the Centre but with the state’s pace of procurement. Referring to figures available with the Centre until July 29, Chouhan said Madhya Pradesh had procured only around 60,000 metric tonnes of moong despite the much larger quantity already approved.Advertisement“Keeping in mind the larger interest of farmers, the state government is requested to ensure that procurement of moong is expedited at the earliest,” Chouhan wrote.The letter came a day after State Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana wrote to Chouhan seeking an increase in the quantity of moong that could be procured under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for the 2025-26 summer season. Farmers under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) during their Kisan Kranti Padyatra march from Narmadapuram to Bhopal. (PTI)Responding point by point, Chouhan began by stating that Madhya Pradesh had already received the country’s largest allocation under the scheme.Advertisement“For the 2025-26 summer season, procurement of up to 4,54,580 metric tonnes of moong has already been approved for Madhya Pradesh under the PSS. This constitutes 87% of the total 5,23,243 metric tonnes approved for procurement across all states during the current season, making Madhya Pradesh the largest beneficiary in the country,” Chouhan wrote.“The letter of Agriculture Minister Aidal Singh Kansana states that the Centre has provided the state a procurement target of 4.54 lakh metric tonnes. The reality, however, is that the Central Government does not assign procurement targets to states,” Chouhan wrote.Explaining the Centre’s position, the Union minister said procurement approvals are governed by the PM-AASHA scheme, and not fixed targets.“Under the PM-AASHA scheme, approvals under the PSS are granted in accordance with the scheme’s guidelines, which provide for procurement up to 25% of the estimated production,” he wrote.Quoting the provisions of the scheme, Chouhan wrote, “The scheme clearly states that the Centre can undertake procurement only up to 25% of a state’s production, while any procurement beyond this limit has to be carried out by the state government.” He added that the Government of India has “consistently extended the maximum permissible support to Madhya Pradesh under the PSS.”To reinforce his argument, Chouhan pointed to the steady increase in procurement approvals over the years. He said the Centre had approved procurement of 2.75 lakh metric tonnes in 2021-22 and 2022-23, 3.30 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24, 4.19 lakh metric tonnes in 2024-25 and 4.54 lakh metric tonnes this year. “The remaining additional quantity was procured by the state government, and timely procurement of farmers’ moong was ensured,” he wrote.CM’s attempts to end agitationThe exchange came as the Mohan Yadav government stepped up efforts to end the agitation. Kansana, State Minister of Cooperation Vishvas Sarang, and Minister of State (Independent Charge) Krishna Gaur held talks with a 15-member delegation of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha at the Mantralaya, with the first round of discussions lasting nearly two hours.Following the meeting, the state said it would increase procurement from 25% to 60% of every eligible farmer’s moong produce == a move that would translate to around three quintals per acre in districts such as Narmadapuram, Sehore and Harda. The decision, the government said, would take effect immediately.“The Madhya Pradesh government has always worked in the interests of farmers. Farmers are the foundation of the state’s economy and prosperity, and the government is fully committed to ensuring they receive fair prices for the crops they produce,” Kansana said.Addressing the second major demand of the agitation, the government announced that the e-token system for fertiliser distribution would be suspended with immediate effect until improvements are made. While describing the online system as “an important reform” that would ultimately benefit farmers, Kansana acknowledged the practical difficulties experienced during its initial rollout.The government also extended the slot booking period for procurement by 10 days.During the day, farmers faced off against the police, trying to break through barricades in multiple areas in Bhopal. Police deployed large numbers of personnel, while buses, dumpers and multiple layers of barricades were placed on roads leading to the CM House to prevent the march from advancing.The agitation began on July 27, when thousands of farmers under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha launched the Kisan Kranti Padayatra from Sethani Ghat in Narmadapuram towards Bhopal. Carrying bedding, cooking utensils and food supplies, they demanded 100% procurement of moong at the Minimum Support Price and the withdrawal of the state’s e-token fertiliser distribution system, alleging that technical glitches had made fertilisers difficult to access during the sowing season.