Purchase of more than 4.70 lakh tonnes of tur for central buffer stock

06-May-2025 05:31 PM

New Delhi. Due to increased domestic production, higher imports, and falling wholesale market prices below the minimum support price (MSP), government agencies are seeing strong success in purchasing pigeon pea (tur) this year.

Agencies such as NAFED and NCCF are actively buying tur from farmers in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana at the MSP of Rs 7550 per quintal. So far, more than 4.70 lakh tonnes have been procured for the central buffer stock, and the purchase process is still ongoing. The government is confident that this figure will soon exceed 5 lakh tonnes.

Over the past two years, high market prices made it difficult for the government to procure tur. However, this season has seen a notable shift, with prices in major producing states declining significantly from their peak levels and now hovering around or below the MSP.

The government estimates that between 5.20 and 5.50 lakh tonnes of tur may be procured nationwide in the 2024–25 marketing season.

Although procurement approval has been given for up to 13.22 lakh tonnes in key states, the final purchase figure will likely fall short of this. Even so, if over 5 lakh tonnes are procured, it would be the highest since the 2019–20 season.

According to policy guidelines, the central buffer stock of tur should hold 10 lakh tonnes, but currently, it only contains about 4.40 lakh tonnes.

In Maharashtra’s benchmark Latur Mandi, prices have dropped to Rs 6800–6900 per quintal, well below the MSP. This has enabled government agencies to procure large quantities directly from farmers under the Price Support Scheme.

A leading analyst has suggested that tur prices may continue to hover around the MSP in the coming months, as demand does not appear to be particularly strong.