Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday directed officials to ensure that garlic cultivators get a fair price for their produce.

The chief minister was reviewing the situation of garlic farmers in the state at his residence in the wake of reports that they were not getting adequate price for their produce and were forced to dump the crop in rivers and markets.

Chouhan asked the officials to establish a grading system at the market level to provide fair prices to garlic farmers. He further directed officials to send representatives to West Bengal, Karnataka and other states where the demand for garlic is more.

It was also informed in the meeting that grading machines will be installed at markets in Dewas, Dhar, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Ratlam and Ujjain.

As compared to previous years, the production of garlic has been high from April to September, which has led to the crisis.

Meanwhile, Vikas Sisodia, a farmer, told PTI that he was getting just Rs 1 per kg for his garlic crop at the market in Indore, and hence, he considered it appropriate to dump the crop in a nullah at his village Barodi. Sisodia claimed that he has suffered a loss of Rs 3 lakh in cultivating garlic this year.?

(With PTI Inputs)