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The government has expanded procurement operations under the PM-AASHA scheme in Chhattisgarh and launched Bihar's first-ever structured pulse procurement initiative under the Atmanirbhar Pulses Mission, according to an official release by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
The procurement drive is being led by National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd. (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED). In Bihar, NCCF has initiated organised procurement of masoor (lentil) for the first time, supported by scientific storage through WDRA-approved warehouses in collaboration with the Central Warehousing Corporation, the release stated. Against a procurement target of 32,000 tonnes, as of April 22, Bihar has procured 100.4 metric tonnes of masoor. NAFED is also preparing to scale procurement operations in the state under the Price Support Scheme through its cooperative network. In Chhattisgarh, procurement under PM-AASHA has gained momentum with digitised farmer participation through the E-Samyukti portal and awareness campaigns, including outreach initiatives and engagement through Doordarshan. A network of 85 Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) centres is operational across districts such as Dhamtari, Durg, Balod, Balodabazar, Raipur, Raigarh and Sarangarh, with further expansion planned in Sarguja, Kondagaon and Koriya. NCCF has set a procurement target of 63,325 MT of chana and 5,360 MT of masoor, with 16,012 farmers registered for chana and 451 for masoor. Against this, as of 22 April 2026, procurement achieved stood at 9,032 MT of chana and 7.98 MT of masoor, benefiting 6,129 chana farmers and 28 masoor farmers. NAFED, as on the same date, had opened 137 procurement centres through State Level Agencies, along with additional direct centres, including 7 for chana and 3 for masoor. A total of 39,467 farmers were registered for chana and 510 for masoor. Procurement achieved was 3,850 MT of chana and 109 MT of masoor, benefiting 2,645 chana farmers and 281 masoor farmers. These initiatives reflect the Government's continued focus on strengthening the minimum support price (MSP)-based procurement ecosystem, ensuring better price realisation for farmers, and integrating them into formal supply chains. (ANI)
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