New Delhi, 18 September (H.S.):

The Union Cabinet chaired by the

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of schemes of

Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) to provide

remunerative prices to farmers and to control price volatility of essential

commodities for consumers. The total financial outgo will be ₹35,000 crore during 15th Finance Commission Cycle upto 2025-26.

The Government has converged the

Price Support Scheme (PSS) & Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) schemes in PM

AASHA to serve the farmers and consumers more efficiently. The Integrated

scheme of PM-AASHA will bring-in more effectiveness in the implementation which

would not only help in providing remunerative prices to the farmers for their

produce but also control the price volatility of essential commodities by

ensuring their availability at affordable prices to consumers. PM-AASHA will

now have the components of Price Support scheme (PSS), Price Stabilization Fund

(PSF), Price Deficit Payment Scheme (POPS) and Market Intervention Scheme

(MIS).

The procurement of notified pulses,

oilseeds & copra at MSP under Price Support Scheme will be on 25% of

national Production of these notified crops from 2024-25 season onwards which

would enable States to procure more of these crops at MSP from farmers for

ensuring remunerative prices and preventing distress sale. However, this

ceiling will not be applicable in case of Tur, Urad & Masur for 2024-25

season as there will be a 100 % procurement of Tur, Urad & Masur during in

2024-25 season as decided earlier.

The Government has renewed and

enhanced the existing guarantee to ₹45,000 crore for procurement

of notified pulses, oilseeds & copra at MSP from farmers. This will help in

more procurement of pulses, oilseeds & copra by Department of Agriculture

and Farmers Welfare (DA&FW) from farmers at MSP including Pre-registered

farmers on eSamridhi portal of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing

Federation of India (NAFED) and eSamyukti portal of National

Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India (NCCF) whenever prices fall

below MSP in the market.

This would also motivate the farmers to cultivate more

of these crops in the country and contribute in achieving self-sufficiency in

these crops leading to reduction in dependence on imports to meet domestic

requirement.

The extension of Price Stabilization

Fund (PSF) scheme will help in protecting consumers from extreme volatility in

prices of agri-horticultural commodities by maintaining strategic buffer stock

of pulses and onion for calibrated release; to discourage hoarding,

unscrupulous speculation; and for supplies to consumers at affordable prices.

Procurement of pulses at market price will be done by Department of

Consumer Affairs (DoCA) including pre-registered farmers on eSamridhi

portal of NAFED and eSamyukti portal of NCCF whenever prices rule above MSP in

the market.

Apart from buffer maintenance, the interventions under PSF scheme

have been undertaken in other crops such as Tomato and in subsidized retail

sale of Bharat DaIs, Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice.

In order to encourage the states to

come forward for implementation of Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS) as an

option for Notified oilseeds, the coverage has been enhanced from existing 25%

of state production of oilseeds to 40% and also enhanced the implementation

period from 3 months to 4 months for the benefits of farmers. The compensation

of difference between MSP and Sale/Modal price to be borne by Central

Government is limited to 15% of MSP.

The extension of implementation of

Market Intervention scheme (MIS) with changes will provide remunerative prices

to farmers growing perishable horticulture crops. The Government has increased

the coverage from 20% to 25% of production and has added a new option of making

differential payment directly into the farmers' account instead of physical

procurement under MIS.

Further, in case of TOP (Tomato, Onion & Potato)

crops, to bridge the price gap in TOP crops between producing states and

consuming states during peak harvesting time, the Government has decided to

bear the transportation and storage expenses for the operations undertaken by

Central Nodal Agencies like NAFED & NCCF which will not only ensure

remunerative prices to farmers but also soften the prices of TOP crops for

consumers in the market.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Nimish kumar