Kharif Pulses & Oilseeds Procurement Approved

New Delhi, Sep 23 (PTI) Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday approved procurement of major Kharif pulses and oilseeds from Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat this year.

A decision in this regard was taken in a virtual meeting with Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat Agriculture Ministers Surya Pratap Shahi and Raghavji Patel, respectively.

In the meeting, the central government agreed to procure in Uttar Pradesh, about 2.27 lakh tonnes of urad (black gram), 1.13 lakh tonnes of tur, 1,983 tonnes of moong (green gram), 30,410 tonnes of sesame and 99,438 tonnes of groundnut, an official statement said.

In Gujarat, the Centre agreed to buy 47,780 tonnes of urad, 4,415 tonnes of moong, 1.09 lakh tonnes of soyabean, and 12.62 lakh tonnes of groundnut.

"Chouhan stated that the approved quantities may be revised as needed after the release of the first advance estimates for Kharif 2025-26, ensuring maximum benefit to farmers," the statement said.

Every eligible farmer will get the right to sell the crop at the government rate and get timely payment through a digital and transparent system, he added.

The minister also emphasised on transparency in procurement, and prevention of irregularities

Procurement agencies NAFED and NCCF have been directed to start pre-registration of farmers to ensure only registered farmers sell the produce at a minimum support price (MSP).

The procurement process will be completely digital on the e-Samriddhi and e-Samyuti portals, enabling direct payment into bank accounts.

Union Agriculture Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi and other senior agriculture ministry officials were present in the meeting.