New Delhi:
Nafed, the government agency which buys agriculture products from farmers at minimum support price (MSP), is procuring lesser quantities of
pulses (mainly tur) and
oilseeds (mainly groundnut) this season as the drought conditions in Maharashtra and unfavourable weather conditions in other states have led to lower
production.
“The fall in procurement is also due to the drought conditions in Maharashtra and unfavourable weather conditions in other states. This is reflected in the second advance estimates of crops’ output where government has revised the output of tur from 4.08 million tonnes to 3.68 million tonnes and the revised production of groundnut from 6.328 million tonnes to 5.441 million tonnes,” said SK Verma, executive director (pulses and oilseeds). Further, the price support scheme by Nafed has jacked up the prices of a few varieties of pulses above the MSP in open market. “This has prompted farmers to sell their produce in the
open market for better returns. The procurement of soyabean has been very less due to prevailing prices either close to MSP or above MSP during the season,” he said.