WHILE the Madhya Pradesh Government’s decision to put the contentious e-token system on hold has brought immediate relief to thousands of farmers, but its updated procurement strategy for moong (green gram) has failed to satisfy the farming community. Dissatisfaction is brewing across key agricultural belts as farmer unions argue that the newly capped limit of 60% of total produce which is estimated to be three quintals per acre falls drastically short of actual yield, leaving them exposed to severe market losses. The State Government’s package of measures, which includes suspending the e-token mechanism due to frequent server crashes, extending slot booking deadlines, and constituting a high-level committee under the Agricultural Production Commissioner to oversee distribution, was intended to defuse mounting protests. However, ground responses indicate that the concessions have only partially addressed core grievances. RELIEF ON E-TOKENS WELCOMED, BUT MOONG CAPPING DENOUNCED AS INSUFFICIENT: Protest leaders and farmers who marched to the state capital have voiced mixed reactions. Sunil Singh Rajput, a farmer leader from Harda who led a foot-march (paya-yatra) to Bhopal, welcomed the suspension of the e-token distribution system and the extension of procurement dates, noting that server glitches had previously paralysed registration. However, Rajput emphasised that raising the moong procurement limit to three quintals per acre falls far short of expectations.

 

“While moving from one quintal to three quintals is a step forward, farmers are demanding a minimum procurement limit of five quintals per farmer so that growers can secure fair returns,” Rajput stated. Other voices from the ground expressed stronger resentment. Rambhoresh Mundel, another farmer from Harda, pointed out that in high-yield districts like Harda, average moong production ranges between 6 to 10 quintals per acre. “Procuring just three quintals or 60% means almost nothing to us,” Mundel said. “We are forced to sell the surplus in local mandis at a loss of nearly Rs 2,500 per quintal, making it impossible to recover basic production costs. Even the extended deadlines—August 10 for slot booking and August 20 for procurement—are inadequate for ground realities.” TECHNICAL DISCREPANCIES AND WIDESPREAD DISCONTENT Adding to the frustration are computational discrepancies in the state’s procurement formula. According to Siddhart Raghuvanshi from Narmadapuram, another affected farmer, technical calculations used by the administration mean that farmers are effectively allowed to sell only around 2 quintals and 82 kilograms per acre, rather than the promised 3 quintals. “Even within this reduced limit, we cannot actually sell the full 2 quintals and 82 kilograms,” Raghuvanshi explained. “Since procurement centres strictly purchase in standardised 50-kg bags, the remaining 32 kilograms are left behind and refused at the centres.” Raghuvanshi noted that despite agreements reached between government representatives and 13 farmer organisation leaders, nearly 80 percent of working farmers remain unhappy. Persistent technical glitches during slot booking continue to hinder operations, prompting growers to warn that the underlying struggle for complete crop coverage and fair pricing is far from over.