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Informist, Tuesday, Apr. 29, 2025

 

--Govt official: Pulses procurement lags at 13% of approved 5 mln tn quantum

--Govt official: Pulses procurement so far stands at 670,000 tonnes

--Govt official:Tur purchases so far 438,000 tonnes of 1.3 mln tn sanctioned

--Govt official: Chana buys so far 77,000 tonnes of 2.8 mln tn sanctioned

 

By Pallavi Singhal

 

NEW DELHI – The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare has so far been able to procure only 670,000 tonnes of pulses in the kharif marketing season 2024-25 (Oct-Sept), 13% of the total quantity of 5.08 million tonnes approved for procurement, according to a senior government official. The biggest lag has been seen in chana procurement, as prices of the commodity continue to remain above the minimum support price of INR 5,650 per 100 kg.

 

The procurement of tur is progressing steadily, with the total quantity purchased so far at 438,000 tonnes, 33% of the sanctioned quantity of 1.3 million tonnes, at the minimum support price of INR 7,550 per 100 kg. "Most of the tur is being procured from Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat, where crop prices are below MSP," the official said. "The procurement will go on up to mid-May or the third week of May, depending on arrivals of the crop. Prices of gram in most regions are at or above MSP, and that is why no purchases are happening." 

 

India is the world's biggest producer and consumer of pulses with chana and tur together accounting for 62% of the country's pulses production. The lag in procurement comes as prices of the commodities continue to remain high after the country's pulses production took a hit for two successive years owing to vagaries of the weather. While tur prices in key markets have slid slightly under the minimum support price, aiding the government's procurement, those of chana continue to rule above the minimum support price.

 

"Prices of masur are also hovering above MSP in Uttar Pradesh, thus preventing us from purchasing," the official said. "The only purchases are coming from Madhya Pradesh where prices have slid." The government has procured 140,000 tonnes of masur so far, about 15% of the total approved quantity of 940,000 tonnes. The minimum support price for masur is INR 6,700 per 100 kg.

 

While the government has sanctioned the purchase of 59,000 tonnes of moong, only 17,000 tonnes has so far been procured at the minimum support price of INR 8,682 per 100 kg. 

 

All pulses are being procured through the two central nodal agencies, National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation Ltd. and National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd. The government procures pulses via two different schemes, the Price Support Scheme used by the agriculture ministry and the Price Stabilisation Fund used by the consumer affairs ministry. 

 

While the Price Support Scheme procures from farmers at the minimum support price when market prices fall to support agricultural production, the Price Stabilisation Fund is mainly used to protect consumers from extreme volatility in prices of agricultural and horticultural commodities by maintaining a strategic buffer stock that enables the government to intervene in the retail market when prices shoot up.  End

 

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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