Farmers in Rajasthan are receiving prices nearly 15% below the government's Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹8,780 per quintal, with market rates currently at ₹7,452. A tenfold surge in harvest arrivals since September 1, combined with procurement delays and government stock sales, has created immediate financial pressure. With the sowing area for moong already 13% below targets, the situation is raising concerns about future crop planning and acreage stability.
Farmers across Rajasthan, the largest producer of moong during the Kharif season, are facing a challenging start to the harvest period. Market prices are trading significantly lower than the government-mandated Minimum Support Price (MSP) of ₹8,780 per quintal. Reports from regional mandis indicate that current selling prices are averaging ₹7,452 per quintal, leading to immediate financial losses for producers who were expecting better returns.
The decline in prices comes at a time when the market is struggling to absorb a massive influx of fresh produce. Since September 1, mandis in the state have recorded arrivals of nearly 63,000 tonnes. This volume is ten times higher than what was reported during the same period last year, creating a supply glut that local markets are finding difficult to manage.
Agricultural experts and farmer associations point to flaws in the procurement mechanism as a primary reason for the price depression. Agencies like the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) and the National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCF) typically handle government buying, but their operations are dependent on specific requests from state authorities. This dependency creates a critical time lag, leaving farmers vulnerable to low market rates when the crop arrives early in the season. Industry groups estimate that this procurement delay has resulted in a loss of approximately ₹14.4 crore in potential income for farmers in just this short window.
Further complicating the pricing environment is the government's approach to inventory management. There are reports that Nafed is offloading older moong stocks at a price of ₹6,500 per quintal. Critics argue that this influx of cheaper, older stock into the market is adding downward pressure on the prices being offered for the fresh harvest. Additionally, producers are expressing frustration over the modest 0.1% hike in the MSP for moong for the 2026-27 season, which was the smallest increase among all Kharif crops.
The financial strain is already impacting agricultural planning for future cycles. Data shows that the current sowing area for moong has fallen 13% below the target of 26.50 lakh hectares. There is a growing sentiment among producers that if the procurement process is not streamlined—perhaps by moving toward automatic buying systems similar to those used for wheat and paddy—they will likely shift their land toward alternative, more economically stable crops. Farmer organizations are currently evaluating strategies to encourage crop diversification, similar to previous initiatives undertaken for mustard, to help mitigate the risk of falling income in future seasons.