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In a major relief to farmers, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the extension of the procurement period for groundnut and soybean across four states.
The decision, aimed at ensuring better price realization for farmers, comes as part of the government's continued commitment to agricultural welfare. Under the extended timelines, soybean procurement has been extended by 24 days in Maharashtra and 15 days in Telangana, while groundnut procurement will continue for an additional 25 days in Karnataka and 6 days in Gujarat. This move is expected to provide greater market access and price stability for oilseed farmers. A quantity of 19.99 LMT of Soyabean has been procured till February 9 benefitting 8,46,251 farmers while 15.73 LMT of Groundnut has been procured till February 9, benefitting 4,75,183 farmers. This extension is expected to boost farmers' incomes, stabilize the supply of essential commodities, and strengthen India's agricultural self-reliance in the coming years. Additionally, Minister Chouhan announced that the integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) has been extended till 2025-26. The scheme, which ensures minimum support price (MSP) procurement for pulses and oilseeds, plays a crucial role in supporting India's farmers. The government also reaffirmed its commitment to 100% procurement of tur, masoor, and urad for the next four years, providing further security to pulse growers. "With an increase in domestic production, India's dependency on imports will reduce significantly," Chouhan stated, adding that the country is on track to achieving self-sufficiency in pulses. Integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme comprises Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) and Price Stabilisation Funds (PSF). Department of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare (DA&FW) administers PSS, PDPS and MIS whereas Department of Consumer Affairs administers PSF. The integrated PM-AASHA Scheme is administered to bring-in more effectiveness in the implementation of procurement operations that would not only help in providing remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce but also control the price volatility of essential commodities by ensuring their availability at affordable prices to consumers. (ANI)
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