Madhya Pradesh government has decided to implement Bhavantar scheme for mustard crop, which will allow farmers to pay differential price if the mandi rates fall below the minimum support price. The state government is awaiting approval from the Union Agriculture Ministry, which is currently headed by former state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced this in the state Assembly on Monday as the state government has decided to observe 2026 as ‘Farmers Welfare Year’, according to an official release. He also announced some more decisions regarding procurement of pulses and said that this will increase the empowerment of farmers and promote their all-round welfare and development.
These decisions came a day before Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed the ‘Kisan Mahachoupal’ rally in Bhopal on Tuesday. Gandhi said the India-US interim trade agreement was sealed under pressure and challenged the Center to scrap the “anti-farmer” agreement after the US Supreme Court verdict.
In other decisions of the state government, Yadav said that for the summer urad crop, which is currently being planted, each farmer will be given a bonus of Rs 600 per quintal over the minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 7,800/quintal. According to the Agmarknet portal, during the main kharif harvesting season (October-December) of 2025-26, farmers in Madhya Pradesh, on an average, sold their urad in agriculture market yards (mandis) at ₹6,181/quintal, 26 per cent below the MSP.
He also said the state government has sent three proposals – procurement of 6.49 lakh tonnes (litre) of chana, 6.01 liter of masoor (lentil) and 1.31 liter of tur (pigeon pea) at their respective MSP from March to May under the ‘Price Support Scheme’.
Yadav said the area under mustard cultivation has increased by about 28 percent compared to last year, adding that according to the second advance estimate the production is estimated at 15.71 litres. Under the Bhavantar scheme, compensation for fair average quality (FAQ) of mustard will be provided if the market price goes below the MSP and payment will be made to registered farmers based on their mustard acreage and state average productivity norms.
Highlighting that the state is promoting balanced production of pulses and encouraging crop diversification, he said the bonus for urad crop will encourage farmers to cultivate moong during the summer (zaid) season.
He reiterated that the government is taking all necessary steps to protect the interests of farmers, including ensuring adequate power supply, irrigation facilities and access to agricultural credit, as well as actively promoting crop diversification to strengthen the agricultural economy of the state.
Published on February 24, 2026
