Rajasthan government launches co-op scheme for buying mustard, gram on MSP

The state government has implemented ‘Sehkar Fasal Kharid Mitr Yojna’ in Rajasthan for the purchase of mustard and gram from farmers on minimum support price (MSP) in 2018.

“In a first, such an initiative has been launched by the state government for purchase of mustard and gram. The farmers will be provided right price in time for their produce,” said Ajay Singh Kilak, the cooperative minister on Friday.

The MSP is the rate of a crop at which the government buys the crop from farmers. It’s a safeguard to prevent exploitation of farmers at the hands of private players.

Under the Sehkar Fasal Kharid Mitr Yojna, the Gram Seva Sehkari Samitis (GSSS), Large Agriculture Multipurpose Cooperative Societies (LAMP) and Oilseed Producing Cooperative Societies (OPCS) can purchase crops from farmers for Kray-Vikray Cooperative Societies as Sehkar Mitra (cooperative friend), said Kilak.

He said chief minister Vaundhara Raje during her visit to Ganganagar had directed for providing relief to farmers by setting up the crop purchase centres near them. The GSSS, LAMP and OPSC have been made Sehkar Mitra. Now, farmers can sell their produce at gram panchayat level, he added. The Sehkar Mitra will be disbursed with an incentive of ₹14 per 50kg bag of produce. This will be in addition to the handling and transport charges.

Keeping in view the crop production, this year the number of purchase centres has been increased to 401, said Kilak, adding that the government intends to provide maximum benefit to the farmers.

Cooperative department principal secretary Abhay Kumar said it will be mandatory for the Sehkar Mitra to register themselves as a member of the Kray-Vikray Sekhari Samiti. There will be an agreement between the two parties on a ₹100 stamp paper. The Sehkar Mitra will purchase produce in the tenure and limit announced by the Rajasthan State Cooperative Marketing Federation Limited (Rajfed), he added.

Kumar said the Sehkar Mitra will get gunny bags, mustard and gram stock insured from water, fire and theft. However, Sehkar Mitra will have to give a ₹10-lakh bank guarantee to the Kray-Vikray Sekhari Samiti.

Rajfed managing director Veena Pradhan said farmers can get themselves registered at E-mitra and purchase centres by paying Rs 10 as the registration fee. A farmer has to carry Bhamashah card and Aadhaar for the registration.