Govt open to procure pulses, maize & cotton at MSP from farmers across India
The government is learnt to have assured agitating farmers that it will procure maize, cotton and pulses varieties – arhar, urad and masoor – at the minimum support price (MSP) not just from farmers in Punjab but from across the country for the next five years. The offer, according to official sources, is subject to the condition that farmers diversify from water-intensive paddy cultivation.
Officials said that to boost output, the government agencies would procure these five crops at MSP s “without any upper limit.” The modalities of MSP purchase are being worked out.
Earlier, the government had offered the same facility for farmers from Haryana and Punjab, but they refused to accept it.
The sources said the government agencies such as farmers’ cooperative Nafed and National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) will be entrusted with the task of procurement of pulses, maize and cotton from the farmers.
“Assured buyback is expected to encourage farmers to shift to pulses, maize and cotton from paddy,” a source said.
On the issue of providing legal guarantee of MSP purchase for 23 crops, a source said “MSP will remain in the current form and there would not be any change in it,”.
Meanwhile, the government has approved standard operating procedure (SoP) through which agencies such Nafed and NCCF will enter into pact with distillers for assured supply of maize at Rs 2291/quintal for ethanol manufacturing while the agencies will buy maize from the farmers at a MSP of Rs 2090/quintal for kharif season (2023-24).
“The scheme aims to ensure the guaranteed MSP to maize farmers, while distilleries get assurance of uninterrupted supply of the feedstock, de-risking price volatility,” an official said.
