Procurement of pulses from farmers at MSP in full swing under PM-AASHA scheme

Procurement of pulses at the MSP by the Centre is in full swing with the approval for continuation of the integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme during the 15th Finance Commission cycle up to 2025-26 to help farmers get higher prices for their produce, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare said on Monday. The procurement has already started in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana and a total quantity of 0.15 lakh metric tonnes of tur (arhar) has been procured in these states till February 15, benefiting 12,006 farmers. The procurement of tur (arhar) in other states also will commence very soon. The Centre is committed to purchasing 100 per cent of tur produced by farmers through central nodal agencies, namely the NAFED and the NCCF, according to an official statement. In order to incentivise the farmers contributing to the enhancement of the domestic production of pulses and to reduce the dependence on imports, the government has allowed the procurement of tur, urad, and masur under PSS equivalent to 100 per cent of the production of the state for the procurement year 2024-25. The Government has also made an announcement in