Gandhinagar: The procurement of Kharif crops, including groundnuts at the support price, has been completed in Gujarat. The state has recorded its highest-ever purchase of 12.23 lakh metric tonnes of groundnuts. Groundnuts worth over ₹8,295 crore have been procured from more than 3.67 lakh farmers, stated Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel.

The union government had increased the per-day purchase limit of groundnuts from a single farmer to 200 maunds. As a result, a record-breaking 12.23 lakh metric tonnes of groundnuts have been purchased in a single year, compared to the total purchase of 22.84 lakh metric tonnes over the last five years. This has brought immense relief and joy to farmers.

The Minister further noted that with the new system of announcing support prices before sowing, farmers are now planting with greater confidence. Since the support price of groundnuts is ₹250 higher than the market price, farmers have benefited significantly from the scheme. In total, these 3.67 lakh farmers have received a direct benefit of ₹1,530 crore.

After the notification to 3.74 lakh registered farmers, 98% of them availed themselves of this scheme and sold their groundnuts to the government. For this, ₹6,600 crore has already been paid into the bank accounts of over 2.92 lakh farmers. Minister Patel assured that the remaining payments will be completed within the next seven days.

To ensure a smooth and hassle-free procurement process, Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel conducted weekly review meetings with officials, central and state nodal agencies, and warehouse corporations. Additionally, he personally visited procurement centers to oversee the process. From senior officials to local administration, every concern raised by even the smallest farmer was taken seriously and addressed promptly, said an official press release. DeshGujarat