New Delhi, April 23 (H.S.): A total of 3.92 lakh metric tons of Pigeon pea (Tur/Arhar) has been purchased at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) through Nafed and NCCF in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana as of April 22. This has benefited 256,517 farmers in these states.

This information was provided today by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The Ministry stated that to encourage farmers contributing to the domestic production of pulses and to reduce dependence on imports, the government has approved the purchase of tur, urad, and lentils under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for the 2024-25 purchase year, equivalent to 100% of the state production.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the purchase of a total of 13.22 lakh metric tons of pigeon pea (Tur/Arhar) under the Price Support Scheme during the Kharif 2024-25 season in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh. The Union Minister also approved an extension of the purchase period in Andhra Pradesh from 90 days to an additional 30 days, until May 22, 2025, in the interest of farmers.

The government also announced in Budget 2025 that to achieve self-reliance in pulses in the country, 100% of the state’s production of Pigeon Pea(Tur/Arhar), urad, and lentils will be purchased through central nodal agencies, namely Nafed and NCCF, for the next four years until 2028-29.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar