Godowns overflow in Junagadh, peanut procurement slows, produce may be sent to Kutch

Procurement of peanuts at minimum support price (MSP) in Junagadh district has slowed sharply after godowns in the district and nearby areas reached full capacity, forcing authorities to explore storage options as far away as Kutch. The situation has raised concerns over delays, hardship for farmers, and the possibility of irregularities in the procurement process.

Officials said several procurement centres are struggling due to a shortage of gunny bags and tagging material, resulting in the purchase of peanuts from only five to seven farmers per day at some locations. With storage space exhausted, procurement has been temporarily halted at a few centres, leading to piles of peanut bags and long queues of trucks waiting on roads.

Around 1.03 lakh farmers had registered in the district to sell peanuts at MSP. By the end of November, peanuts from over 20,000 farmers were procured at 47 centres. By December 1, the number rose to 28,727 farmers. However, the large volume of procurement quickly filled available godowns in Junagadh and adjoining areas.

Due to what farmers allege is poor planning by agencies managing procurement, efforts are now being made to transport peanuts to godowns in distant regions such as Morbi, Than and even Kutch. Officials admit that finding immediate storage space there has also become difficult.

Payments to farmers are released only after the produce reaches the godown and tagging is completed. With procurement now moving at a snail’s pace, many farmers say they are being forced to sell peanuts in the open market at lower prices to meet urgent financial needs.

Farmer groups have also expressed concern that transporting peanuts over long distances increases the risk of swapping or manipulation during transit, potentially leading to a procurement scam. They have demanded urgent action to expand local storage capacity and ensure smooth and transparent procurement.