Government Intervenes to Protect Farmers with New Procurement Measures

The Central government has strategized to support farmers by approving the procurement of 20 lakh tonnes of potatoes in Uttar Pradesh at a market intervention price of Rs 6,500.90 per tonne, amounting to Rs 203.15 crore. This initiative forms part of a larger effort to prevent distress sales across multiple states.

In addition, the Union Agriculture Ministry has increased the procurement cap for gram in Andhra Pradesh to 1.13 lakh tonnes from 94,500 tonnes. Meanwhile, Karnataka's procurement window for tur has been extended to May 15 under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), allowing farmers additional time to benefit from the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sanctioned these plans after a virtual meeting with state agriculture ministers and senior officials. The measures aim to ensure farmers receive fair prices and avoid selling their produce below MSP due to market saturation during peak harvests.