Procurement window for Red Gram in Andhra Pradesh prolonged by 15 days for Kharif 2024-25

The Government of India has approved the procurement of 54,166 metric tonnes (MT) of moong under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for the summer crop season 2025–26 across Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat. In addition, the government has sanctioned the procurement of 50,750 MT of groundnut under the PSS in Uttar Pradesh for the same season.

During a recent meeting, Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, also approved an extension of the red gram (tur/arhar) procurement period in Andhra Pradesh by 15 days, now extended up to June 26, 2025, to safeguard farmers’ interests in the state.

To incentivize farmers and boost domestic pulse production while reducing reliance on imports, the government has allowed procurement of tur (arhar), urad, and masur pulses under the PSS up to 100 percent of the respective state’s production for the procurement year 2024–25. This initiative was further strengthened in the Union Budget 2025, which announced its continuation through 2028–29. Under this scheme, Central Nodal Agencies such as NAFED and NCCF will procure pulses up to 100 per cent of state production, aiming to achieve national self-sufficiency in pulse cultivation.

The Government implements this initiative under the integrated scheme Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA), which includes the Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), Market Intervention Scheme (MIS), and Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF). The overarching goal is to ensure farmers receive assured and remunerative prices for their agricultural produce, thereby protecting their income and livelihood against price volatility.

The PSS activates during periods when market prices of notified pulses, oilseeds, and copra fall below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) during peak harvesting, ensuring farmers obtain a fair and remunerative price.