NCCF Initiates Procurement of Masoor (Lentils) in Bihar

24-Apr-2026 05:17 PM

Patna. The National Cooperative Consumers' Federation (NCCF)—an agency under the Central Government—has, for the first time, commenced the procurement of Masoor (lentils) directly from farmers in Bihar. A press release issued by the Union Ministry of Food, Consumer Affairs, and Public Distribution states that a procurement target of 32,000 tonnes of Masoor has been set for Bihar this year; as of April 22, 100.4 tonnes had already been procured in the state.

By April 22, the Federation had established contact with 59 farmers, and 16 PACS (Primary Agricultural Credit Societies) were successfully registered. Meanwhile, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED)—an agency under the Union Ministry of Agriculture—is also making preparations to procure Masoor under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) through its extensive cooperative network spread across Bihar.

Separately, in Chhattisgarh, the pace of procurement under the 'Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan' (PM-AASHA) scheme is gaining momentum. There, farmers' participation is being ensured through a unified e-portal, and a comprehensive awareness campaign is being conducted at the grassroots level.

To facilitate the procurement of Masoor, 85 PACS centers have been made operational; currently, the procurement process is underway in districts such as Dhanvati, Balod, Durg, Raipur, Baloda Bazar, Raigarh, and Sarangarh. The scope of this procurement drive is expected to expand shortly to include the districts of Surguja, Kondagaon, and Boriya as well.

In India, Madhya Pradesh accounts for the highest production of Masoor, followed by Uttar Pradesh in second place and Bihar in third. Additionally, a modest amount of Masoor is also produced in several other states, including West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand.