Farmers end Bhopal protest after MP govt agrees to procure 60% moong crop

Farmers marching towards the Chief Minister's residence forced extended talks with the Madhya Pradesh government. The agreement on moong procurement limits and fertiliser e-tokens ended the three-day agitation.Following the agreement, the protest was called off and the administration cleared the demonstration site late at night. A three-day farmers' protest in Bhopal over procurement of moong at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) ended late on Wednesday after the Madhya Pradesh government agreed to key demands following hours of negotiations. The breakthrough came after dramatic scenes in the state capital, where protesting farmers breached multiple layers of police barricades and marched towards the Chief Minister's residence.The second day of the agitation began with farmers camping near Veer Savarkar Setu, where they performed a havan seeking "good sense" for the government. Some protesters staged a semi-nude demonstration, demanding 100 per cent procurement of moong at MSP. While intermittent confrontations with police took place throughout the day, tensions escalated sharply around 4 pm.Police had deployed buses, dumpers and multi-layered barricades to prevent protesters from advancing towards the Chief Minister's residence. However, farmers climbed onto the buses, dismantled barricades and broke through four layers of security despite repeated appeals from police to remain peaceful.ADDN COMMISSIONER SHIELDS POLICE BUSOne of the defining moments of the protest came when Additional Commissioner Monica Shukla stood in front of a police bus as protesters attempted to move it aside. Using her body as a shield, she prevented the vehicle from being pushed forward. Protesters eventually left the bus and continued their march on foot. After crossing Veer Savarkar Setu, the protesters reached Board Office Square before proceeding to Roshanpura Square, where they halted amid heavy rain and waited for more farmers to join them. By then, police had further tightened security at Banganga Square, around 500 metres from the Chief Minister's residence, with additional barricades, dumpers and a heavy deployment of personnel.CENTRE APPROVED PROCUREMENT UNDER PM-AASHAMeanwhile, negotiations between farmer representatives and the state government were underway at the Secretariat. During the talks, a letter from Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated that the Centre had approved moong procurement under the PM-AASHA scheme and that the state could procure more than the prescribed limit using its own funds.After nearly three hours of discussions, the government announced that it would procure up to 60 per cent of the moong crop in districts including Narmadapuram, Sehore and Harda, with procurement capped at around three quintals per acre.Slot booking will remain open until August 10, while procurement will continue until August 20. The government also decided to suspend the e-token system for fertiliser distribution.Following the agreement, the protest was called off and the administration cleared the demonstration site late at night, bringing the agitation to an end.- EndsPublished By: Ritaban MisraPublished On: Jul 30, 2026 20:01 IST