Government will buy all Masur, Urad, and Tur dal produced by farmers

The government will buy all Masur, Urad, and Tur dal produced by farmers

The government will buy the entire production of tur, urad, and masur dal from farmers, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced in Rajya Sabha on Friday. The government will make the procurement through the e-Samridhi platform, where farmers must register, he said. “The government will procure all tur, urad, and masur dal produced by farmers,” Chauhan said in response to a supplementary question in the Rajya Sabha.

The minister went on to say that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the government had the highest purchase of MSP from farmers. Also Read | Niti Aayog: MSP can only ensure a stable price, not the best price

According to data from the previous UPA government, between 2003–2004 and 2013–14, only 45 crore metric tonnes were purchased at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

While the current NDA government procured 69.18 crore metric tonnes between 2014–15 and 2023–24,. He accused the opposition of playing politics, claiming that the Swaminathan committee recommended a 50% profit to farmers on their costs, which the UPA government ignored.

Placing a cabinet note from the previous Manmohan Singh government, Chauhan stated that it refused to accept the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, claiming that a mechanical link between MSP and the cost of production would distort the market.

“It has been a long-standing demand that tea and coffee be included as essential commodities because they currently do not have an MSP. “The planters are demanding this,” he stated.

Chouhan stated that MSP is granted on 23 crops, while tea and coffee are handled by the commerce and industry minister, who is his colleague Piyush Goyal.

Appreciating the DMK member’s point of view, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar stated that following portfolio allocation, he called Goyal and informed him that his ministry has some boards and enterprises that are directly related to farmers.

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“I would welcome and allow half-hour discussions if a member asks on the Tea board, coffee board, Rubber board, Apeda, etc,” said Dhanker, who also noted that there has been no value addition in tea in recent years.

The chairman went on to say that he expects the Ministry of Agriculture, Commerce, and Industry to meet and return to the House the next session with the steps taken in response to Shanmugam’s supplementary question.