Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, informed the Rajya Sabha that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has undertaken three major initiatives to increase farmers’ income and strengthen the agriculture sector boosting production, reducing cultivation costs, and ensuring fair prices for farmers.
He emphasized that the government’s core aim and guiding principle is the welfare of farmers.
Shri Chouhan highlighted with pride that in 2019, the government made a landmark decision to fix the Minimum Support Price (MSP) by adding a 50% profit margin over the production cost. He further announced that the government will now ensure 100% procurement of tur, masur, and urad from farmers. He recalled that previous governments had expressed concerns that ensuring a 50% profit could destabilize the market, but the Modi government made this bold decision in favour of farmers.
Responding in Parliament, Shri Chouhan stated that the government is implementing all recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission. He noted that procurement at MSP is being carried out across crops, providing farmers a guaranteed 50% profit over total input costs sometimes even higher. He added that before 2014, procurement of pulses and oilseeds was very limited, but the current government has strengthened the system through the PM-ASHA scheme.
Shri Chouhan pointed out that some state governments show delays in procurement, causing difficulties for farmers. To resolve this, the Centre has decided that if states fail to procure adequate quantities of tur, masur, and urad, agencies like NAFED will directly step in to ensure farmers receive the rightful MSP. Record Procurement at MSP: Unprecedented Milestones in the Last 10 Years
Highlighting procurement achievements, the Minister shared:
whereas under the Modi government, this increased to 818.6 LMT.
He stated, “We have ensured that farmers receive the full value of their produce.”
Significant Increase in MSP and ₹24.49 Lakh Crore Procurement in 10 Years:
Comparing MSP rates with 2013-14, Shri Chouhan said there has been a substantial rise in the MSP of all major crops including paddy, jowar, bajra, ragi, tur, moong, urad, groundnut, sunflower, wheat, barley, chana, and mustard. He noted that while the previous government made MSP purchases worth ₹7.41 lakh crore in ten years, the Modi government has made record purchases worth ₹24.49 lakh crore, placing farmers’ welfare at the highest priority.
Example of Tur Procurement in Karnataka: Shri Chouhan also cited the case of Karnataka, where the state government had proposed tur procurement for 2024-25. The Centre offered to procure 100% of the produce, but the state sought approval for only 25% procurement. As a result, against the approved 3,06,150 MT, the state procured only 2,16,303 MT.
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