NEW DELHI: The Center aims to aggressively acquire tur, urad and lentils from farmers across price support plan (PSS) and price stabilization fund (PSF) to give guarantees to producers that the government will buy their products. Two government cooperatives, Nafed and NCCF, have been directed to start purchasing pulses aggressively to encourage farmers to increase production.
Sources said the directions were issued to the two cooperatives at a high-level inter-ministerial meeting attended by officials from the agriculture and consumer affairs departments and other stakeholders. Both agencies have pre-registered around 21 lakh farmers to procure their produce in key pulse-producing states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh ahead of the sowing season.
While the fund allocated under the PSS is meant to support farmers when market prices fall below the MSP, the PSF is used to stabilize farm prices. agricultural products and protect consumers.
The decision comes amid the government’s commitment to purchase 100% of the urad, arhar and masur (lentil) varieties of pulses, which the country imports in substantial quantities, and avoid distress sales by farmers. “Now we buy pulses not only at MSP but also at a price close to that of mandis. Unless we assure farmers that they will get a remunerative price, they will not grow pulses. “This measure will boost the country’s pulse production to make it self-sufficient,” said a source.
Under the dynamic minimum assured procurement price (MAPP), the Ministry of Agriculture approved that agencies can purchase tur and urad based on the average of the last three days. mandi prices.
In the last two years, government agencies were unable to purchase these three varieties of pulses as mandis prices were above the MSP due to decline in production and increase in demand. Tur arrival at mandis is likely to increase later this month. The government will have to purchase pulses at MSP using the PSS as prospects of a robust crop have started impacting tur mandi prices below MSP of Rs 7,550 per quintal.
The government extends the free import of tur until March 2026
On Monday, the government extended free importation for turdal until March 31 next year to keep prices under control. The Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued the notification. The government had allowed import of tur under the “free category” since May 15, 2021. Subsequently, the free regime has been expanded from time to time. The existing free import policy was first introduced in May 2021 and has been expanded several times amid faltering domestic production.