Mandi prices of pulses and oilseeds fell below MSP, forcing the government to increase procurement. Prices of tur, chana and mustard declined due to favourable crop prospects and imports.
Mandi prices of most varieties of pulses and oilseeds are trading below the respective minimum support price (MSP), forcing the government to increase procurement of these commodities at the respective minimum support price (MSP).
According to trade sources, market prices have declined due to encouraging crop prospects and liberal imports.
Mandi prices of tur in Latur (Maharashtra) on Friday were in the range of Rs 6800 per quintal to Rs 7400 per quintal as against the MSP of Rs 7550 per quintal for the 2024-25 season.
Tur farmers are getting about 35% higher price than MSP due to low production prospects in the last two years. Government agencies – NAFED and NCCF – have so far procured 0.24 LMT tur from farmers against the target of 1 million tonne (MT).
Similarly, in case of gram, which accounts for nearly 50% of the country’s pulses production, mandi prices in Kota, Rajasthan on Friday ranged between Rs 4900 per quintal and Rs 52000 per quintal against the MSP of Rs 5650 per quintal for the current season. Procurement of gram has started in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
Only about 5000 tonnes have been procured in these two states. The Agriculture Ministry has approved procurement of 5 MT of pulses – tur, chana, urad, masoor and moong – under PSS in major producing states including Rajasthan, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu in both Kharif and Rabi seasons.
Roop Singh, CEO of Uttan Mustard Producers Company, a farmer producer organisation (FPO) based in Bharatpur, Rajasthan, a hub of wholesale trade of the oilseed, said mustard mandi prices are currently hovering in the range of Rs 5500-5600 per quintal against the MSP of Rs 5950 per quintal for the 2024-25 rabi season. “Government procurement is yet to begin, which is likely to impact farmers’ remuneration,” Singh told FE.
The agriculture ministry has approved procurement of 2.8 MT of mustard under PSS for the current rabi season in major producing states – Rajasthan (1.3 MT), Madhya Pradesh (0.49 MT), Uttar Pradesh (0.47 MT), Haryana (0.33 MT), Gujarat (0.12 MT), Assam (62,774 MT) and Chhattisgarh (3050 MT).
Further, MSP procurement of small quantities of groundnut and sunflower has been approved in Telangana under PSS in the current rabi season.
Meanwhile, in the kharif season, central agencies in collaboration with the state government have procured about 2 metric tonnes of soybean and 1.5 metric tonnes of groundnut from 1.3 million farmers in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh respectively, while the quantities were much less in previous crop years. India imports 15% to 18% and 58% of its annual pulses and edible oil consumption, respectively.
