Madhya Pradesh's wheat crisis deepens as hailstorms and storage shortages hit farmers hard
Madhya Pradesh faces serious challenges in wheat procurement this season. Heavy crop damage from hailstorms and overflowing warehouses have delayed the process. Farmers are now dealing with falling market prices as the government struggles with storage and payment issues. Unpredictable weather has hit farmers hard across the state. Hailstorms, strong winds, and heavy rain destroyed crops in multiple districts. These losses come as the Central government aims to buy 78 lakh metric tonnes of wheat from Madhya Pradesh this year.
Storage has become a major problem. Warehouses are already at 95% capacity, far above the 75-80% seen in previous years. The state lacks enough gunny bags, with only enough to pack 25 lakh tonnes—half of the 50 lakh metric tonnes the government plans to procure. The Centre has yet to collect last year's stock, leaving grains worth ₹40,000 crore stuck in storage. Payments for previously lifted grains remain pending too. The state is still waiting for ₹15,000 crore from the Centre. To ease pressure, the government has released 10 million tonnes through open market sales since January and allocated ₹2,000 crore for new silos. Procurement adjustments led by the Food Corporation of India (FCI) are also underway. Procurement dates have been pushed back three times. The state will now start buying wheat from April 10 in four divisions and from April 15 in the rest. The delays have caused market prices to drop, adding to farmers' concerns.
The state government is working to manage the crisis by building new storage and adjusting procurement schedules. Farmers, however, continue to face financial strain due to delayed payments and falling prices. The Centre's slow response in lifting old stocks and processing dues has worsened the situation.
