TN govt to procure copra, pulses at MSP
Trichy: Tamil Nadu government will procure copra and pulses at minimum support price from this season to encourage the cultivation of pulses and increase the production of copra, black gram and green gram. Though farmers sell copra after value addition, they are forced to sell it for less than the minimum support price. The government procured 79,022 tonne of milling copra from 48,364 farmers from 26 districts including the delta districts, Dindigul, Theni, Madurai and Namakkal at a cost of Rs 858.18 crore last year.
The government will procure ball copra at Rs 120 per kg and milling copra for Rs 111.6 per kg as MSP this year. The government has set a target of procuring 90,300 metric tonnes of copra and got approval for it from the Union government. The procurement process will be in effect till June 10, said agriculture minister M R K Panneerselvam in a statement. He said farmers who raise pulses are severely affected due to low selling prices. To mitigate the situation, the government will procure pulses from 17 districts
including Ariyalur, Karur, Dindigul, Theni, Selam and Namakkal from June 10. Similarly, pulses will be procured from seven delta districts from April 1 to June 29. Around 1.43 lakh tonne of pulses will be procured from the 24 districts with the support price of Rs 69.50 a kg, stated the release. The government is also to procure green gram till June 10 at the rate of Rs 85.58 per kg. Farmers can approach regulated markets within their jurisdiction to utilize the opportunity, the minister added.
