Gandhinagar, Feb 17 The Gujarat government has announced that it will start purchasing chickpeas and mustard at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) from March 14.
To facilitate this process, farmers can register online free of cost at e-Gram centres from February 18 to March 9 through the NAFED e-Samriddhi portal.
The state government has set the MSP for chickpeas at Rs 5,650 per quintal and mustard at Rs 5,950 per quintal for the 2024-25 season.
Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel emphasised that the government is committed to ensuring farmers get fair prices for their produce, thereby strengthening their economic security.
According to officials, procurement will be carried out across various designated centres from March 14 onwards. Farmers are encouraged to take full advantage of this initiative. The decision to procure these crops under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) scheme was made to safeguard farmers from market price fluctuations.
The state government remains dedicated to supporting agricultural communities through timely interventions and policy measures. In the 2022-23 season, Gujarat reported procuring 1.1 million tonnes of wheat under the MSP scheme.
Similarly, for paddy, the state procured significant quantities through various procurement centres. The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the Gujarat State Co-operative Marketing Federation are the primary agencies responsible for MSP procurement in the state.
These agencies are set up at multiple centres across rural and urban areas for easy access to farmers. The state government has consistently aimed to ensure that MSP procurement reaches every farmer, particularly small and marginal farmers. During the 2021-22 procurement season, Gujarat purchased over 1.5 million tonnes of wheat and rice combined under the MSP scheme.
The online registration process for MSP procurement through e-Gram centres and the NAFED portal began in 2022, making the entire system more accessible to farmers. This system allows for faster registration and efficient monitoring of the procurement process.
Over the years, Gujarat has seen a steady increase in the number of crops eligible for MSP procurement, along with a rise in the number of farmers participating in the scheme.
In 2022-23 alone, the state procured a large number of pulses, including chickpeas and moong at MSP.
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