Maize-cotton ahead in the district, soybean registration low
2025-10-08 12:06:06
The district has more maize and cotton acreage than soybeans, but only 2,500 hectares have been registered.
The Madhya Pradesh government has implemented a price difference scheme for farmers' soybean crops, but farmers in the district are showing little interest in it. Considering farmers' preferences, they are increasingly planting maize and cotton instead of soybeans. Consequently, the district's farmers will not be able to benefit from the price difference scheme. Farmers have stated that maize and cotton should be included in the price difference scheme to maximize benefits.
According to information, the district's maize acreage covers approximately 100,000 hectares, and cotton acreage is 77,900 hectares, while soybean acreage is only 20,878 hectares. Consequently, very few farmers in the district will be able to participate in this scheme. Deputy Director of Agriculture KC Vaskel stated that the Madhya Pradesh government has implemented a price difference scheme for soybean producers.
The cotton crop is being damaged by the caterpillar infestation.
The price difference scheme has been implemented for farmers. Under the scheme, the price difference will be credited to farmers' accounts based on the difference between the price at which they sold their produce and the support price and the model price. To avail the benefits of the price difference scheme, farmers must register on the e-Uparjan portal.
The deadline for registration under the soybean crop under the price difference scheme is October 17th. In the district, 2,290 farmers have registered 2,543.07 hectares of land. Registered farmers will be required to sell their soybean produce at the agricultural produce market. Sales of soybean produce will be made between October 24th and January 15th. The support price for soybean is ₹5,328 per quintal.
Pink bollworm infestation on cotton increases, damaging crops
Farmers reported that rains occurred after the cotton crop had ripened, damaging their cotton crops. Currently, the pink boll infestation on cotton has increased, resulting in only tassels visible on the cotton plants. This will only allow for one-time harvesting of cotton. This will result in poor cotton quality, preventing farmers from receiving a fair price.
Maize should be included in the support price, farmers are not receiving a fair price.
He stated that the district has a large area under maize cultivation. Therefore, maize should be included in the support price. A minimum support price of ₹2,500 per quintal should be set for this purpose. He stated that currently, maize is fetching ₹1,500 to ₹1,600 per quintal in the district, which is very low. To provide relief to farmers, maize should be included in the support price.
