Only 73 thousand tonnes of pulses and oilseeds have been procured by NAFED so far.

12-Nov-2024 01:15 PM

The procurement of pulses and oilseeds by the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) in the 2024-25 marketing season is progressing, but the figures are far behind the target set by the government. As of November 10, 2024, NAFED has procured only 73,000 tonnes of the targeted 66.05 lakh tonnes, which includes both pulses and oilseeds.

Breakdown of Procurement:
Pulses:
Moong: 38,002 tonnes, primarily from Karnataka.
Urad: Only 9.25 tonnes, procured in Rajasthan.
Oilseeds:
Soybean: 22,931 tonnes in Telangana, with smaller amounts in Madhya Pradesh (6,499 tonnes), Maharashtra (3,238 tonnes), Rajasthan (837 tonnes), and Karnataka (155 tonnes).
Sunflower: 1,541 tonnes, all procured in Karnataka.
Despite the modest procurement so far, the procurement process is ongoing. The Union Agriculture Ministry has approved significant quantities for purchase this season:

Moong: 2,82,973 tonnes.
Urad: 8,20,310 tonnes.
Tuvar: 4,91,285 tonnes (though procurement has not yet started).
Soybean: 32,23,616 tonnes.
Groundnut: 17,47,031 tonnes.
Sunflower: 13,210 tonnes.
Sesame: 26,123 tonnes.
Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for 2024-25:
Moong: Rs 8,682 per quintal.
Urad: Rs 7,400 per quintal.
Tuvar: Rs 7,550 per quintal.
Soybean: Rs 4,892 per quintal.
Groundnut: Rs 6,783 per quintal.
Sunflower: Rs 7,280 per quintal.
Sesame: Rs 9,267 per quintal.
These procurement activities are a part of the government's Price Support Scheme (PSS), designed to ensure that farmers get a fair price for their produce, particularly in times of market price fluctuations. However, the relatively low numbers for early procurement suggest challenges in reaching the targets or possibly delays in the ongoing procurement processes.