Allocation of Rs 35,000 crore for PM ASHA scheme

19-Sep-2024 01:39 PM

New Delhi. The Central Government has approved the continuation of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM ASHA) scheme and has allocated a huge amount of Rs 35,000 crore for it.

A departure to this effect was approved in the meeting of the Union Cabinet Policy on Economic Affairs on the previous day.

This amount will be used to purchase agricultural products from farmers at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Apart from this, an allocation of Rs 24,475 crore has also been made for subsidy on NP fertilizers for the upcoming Rabi season.

It is worth noting that the harvesting-preparation season of Kharif crops across the country will formally start from October 1, 2024, which will continue till March 31, 2025. During this period, crops like paddy,

pulses, oilseeds, coarse grains and cotton will be purchased from the farmers. Paddy is purchased the most and the maximum amount is spent on it.

This time there is a plan to buy soybean in large quantities because its wholesale market price is likely to be much below the government support price of Rs 4892 per quintal.

Government purchase of groundnut can also be done in Gujarat. Among pulses, the market price of tuvar and urad is higher than MSP, but if the price of moong remains low, then it can be bought at the support price.

Efforts can also be made to buy maize, but it seems difficult for its price to come below MSP. Purchase of cotton will depend on its market price, while its production is likely to decrease.