Overview
- Under a new state SOP, wheat buying at the minimum support price will start on April 10 in the Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, and Narmadapuram divisions and on April 15 in Jabalpur, Gwalior, Rewa, Shahdol, Chambal, and Sagar.
- This is the second reschedule after earlier start dates in March and April, and the back‑to‑back changes have triggered a fresh clash between the Congress and the BJP in the state.
- Congress leaders say the delay has pushed farmers toward loan defaults and forced sales below the support rate, and party chief Jitu Patwari wrote to the prime minister and threatened a hunger strike if bags are not arranged.
- The BJP cites a shortage of PP and HDPE bags tied to the West Asia conflict, and says the Centre has sent 50,000 bales of jute bags and will procure wheat at Rs 2,625 per quintal.
- Local reporting points to storage and logistics strain, with warehouses still holding last season’s grain and traders in many markets paying about Rs 2,200–2,400 per quintal versus the MSP, which increases pressure on farmers to sell early.