Govt hopes to resolve farmers protest before wheat procurement season
Mint earlier reported that the Centre was in talks with Rajasthan, UP and Bihar to increase the procurement of wheat and coarse grains in the next 2024-25 rabi season after significantly lower Central purchases in these three states. In the previous rabi season, the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar procured 214,981 tonnes and 589 tonnes of wheat as against a target of 3.5 million tonnes (mt) and 1mt, respectively, while Rajasthan procured 438,000 tonnes.
Chopra also said there is no proposal to allow any further diversion of sugar for ethanol production. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said his government is committed to fulfilling resolutions aimed at the welfare of farmers across the country.
Union agriculture minister Arjun Munda said that though several rounds of meetings have been held with protesting farmers, more efforts must be made by both sides to reach a consensus. Munda is in a team of union ministers holding talks with the farmer union leaders.
The Union government has spent ₹18.39 trillion in the last 10 years on procurement of wheat, paddy, oilseeds, and pulses as against ₹5.5 trillion by the UPA regime. The Centre has ensured the supply of fertilisers at a reasonable rate, the secretary said.
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