Mumbai, Feb 5 (Reporter) Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president Nana Patole on Wednesday expressed serious concern over lakhs of quintals of soybean lying unsold before expiry of its procurement deadline and demanded that the state and central governments must keep the procurement centres open until the entire stock is purchased. Speaking on the issue, he said that farmers in Maharashtra, particularly in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, still have lakhs of quintals of soybean unsold. The soybean procurement centres are set to remain open until February six. However, since all the soybean from farmers will not be procured within this period, the state and central governments must keep these centres open until the entire stock is purchased. "If necessary, the number of procurement centres should also be increased," he said. With already low prices, closure of procurement centres will force farmers to sell at whatever rate they get, leading to heavy losses, he informed. Targeting the BJP-led government, the MPCC chief said that it had promised Rs 6,000 per quintal for soybean during the Maharashtra Assembly election campaign, but it has failed to deliver on this commitment, he alleged. Moreover, farmers have not yet received payments for the soybean already procured, he said. The situation with paddy and cotton is equally grim — paddy is being bought at lower prices, and cotton farmers are also struggling. The BJP-alliance government is betraying farmers, Patole added...////...