Gujarat Govt to Start Moong Procurement From July 21

The Gujarat government will begin purchasing moong (green gramme) at minimum support price (MSP) rates from July 21, 2022. Online registration would be available at the e-gram centres in the villages from July 11 to July 20. For the 2021-22 season, registered farmers will be able to sell moong at the MSP set by the Centre at Rs 7,275 per quintal.

In Saurashtra markets, the spot price of moong ranged between Rs 4,750 and Rs 6,250 per quintal, which is about Rs 1,000 less than the MSP. On Thursday, arrivals at Rajkot market were reported to be 425 quintal.

The moong procurement will be managed by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (Nafed) through the State-appointed nodal agency Indiagro Consortium Producer Company Limited, a farmer producer organization (FPO).

Raghavji Patel, Gujarat Agriculture Minister, stated, "The market price of moong has fallen below the minimum support prices at various APMCs. As a result, a procurement decision was made to avoid any loss to the farmers."

In Saurashtra markets, the spot price of moong ranged between Rs 5,750 and Rs 6,250 per quintal, which is about Rs 1,000 less than the MSP.

Importance of Moong:

Moong is a high-quality protein source with a high digestibility (25 percent). It is used in our food as whole grains as well as "Dal" in a variety of ways. Sprouted green gramme is used to make curry or a savoury dish (South India).

It is said to be easily digestible, so patients prefer it. It is also high in Riboflavin, Thiamine, and Vitamin C. (Ascorbic acid). When green gramme seeds sprout, they produce a significant amount of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C). Green gramme can also be grown as a green manure crop.