Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : In the ongoing Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2020-21, the Government continues to procure Kharif 2020-21 crops at MSP from farmers as per existing MSP Schemes as done in previous seasons.
Paddy procurement for Kharif 2020-21 is continuing smoothly in the procuring States & UTs of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Karnataka, West Bengal, and Tripura with purchase of over 673.53 LMTs of paddy up to March 8, 2021. This is an increase of 14.26 % against the last year corresponding purchase of 589.46 LMT. Out of the total purchase of 673.53 LMT, Punjab alone has contributed 202.82 LMT which is 30.11 % of total procurement, according to a PIB release.
About 98.55 lakh farmers have already benefitted from the ongoing KMS procurement operations with MSP value of Rs 1,27,164.08 Crore.
Further, based on the proposal from the States, approval was accorded for procurement of 94.39 LMT of Pulse and Oilseeds of Kharif Marketing Season 2020-21 & Rabi Marketing Season 2021 for the States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh under Price Support Scheme (PSS).
The sanction for procurement of 1.23 LMT of Copra (the perennial crop) for the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala was also given.
For other States/UTs, approval will also be accorded on receipt of proposals for procurement of Pulses, Oilseeds and Copra under PSS so that procurement of FAQ grade of these crops can be made at notified MSP for the year 2020-21 directly from the registered farmers, if the market rate goes below MSP during the notified harvesting period in the respective States/UTs by the Central Nodal Agencies through State nominated procuring agencies.
Up to March 8, 2021, the Government through its Nodal Agencies has procured 3,12,421.02 MT of Moong, Urad, Tur, Gram, Groundnut Pods and Soyabean having MSP value of Rs 1,681.70 Crores benefitting 1,69,704 farmers in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan under Kharif 2020-21 & Rabi 2021.
Similarly, 5,089 MT of copra having MSP value of Rs.52.40 crore has been procured benefitting 3,961 farmers in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu up to March 8, 2021. The respective State/UTs Governments are making necessary arrangements for commencement of procurement from the date as decided by the respective States based on the arrivals of Pulses and Oilseeds.
Procurement operations of seed cotton (Kapas) under MSP are going on smoothly in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Karnataka. Till March 8, 2021, a quantity of 91,86,678 cotton bales valuing Rs 26,719.51 Crore has been procured benefitting 18,97,002 farmers