The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare approved the procurement of sunflower seeds in Telangana under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for the Rabi 2024-25 season. The decision follows a request from the Telangana government, seeking support for farmers cultivating sunflower.
According to official communication, the Centre has sanctioned procurement for a maximum of 1,972 metric tonnes (MT) of sunflower seeds. This is based on 25% of the total production reported by the State or 25% of the Final Advance Estimates for Rabi 2023-24, whichever is lower. The total sunflower seed production in Telangana for Rabi 2023-24 was estimated at 15,280 MT, while the State reported 7,887 MT.
The procurement process will be undertaken by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Ltd (NCCF). The Telangana government has been directed to notify the commencement of procurement, which will remain valid for 90 days from the date of initiation.
As per PSS guidelines, the Central Nodal Agencies are required to make necessary arrangements, including identifying procurement centres, securing storage facilities, ensuring adequate supply of gunny bags and arranging transportation with GPS tracking. The State government has also been instructed to ensure sufficient liquidity to facilitate payment to farmers within three days of procurement. The procurement will be restricted to Fair Average Quality (FAQ) sunflower seeds from registered farmers.
Published - March 02, 2025 11:52 pm IST
