(a) whether the Government is considering to increase the minimum support price of Arhar adequately and set up a procurement mechanism for the same;
(b) if so, the details thereto; and
(c) whether the Government is considering to provide cash Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the farmers, if so, the details thereof and the manner in which the scheme is beneficial to the farmers?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
‡ãðŠãäÓã ??? ????? ?????? ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã ½ãñâ À㕾㠽ãâ¨ããè ( SHRI MOHANBHAI KUNDARIA )
(a) & (b): Government has fixed Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Arhar for 2015-16 at Rs.4425 per quintal. In addition, a bonus of Rs.200 per quintal over and above MSP is also payable.
Food Corporation of India (FCI) has been designated as the Central Nodal Agency for procurement of pulses including Arhar. To supplement the efforts of FCI, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED), National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF), Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and Small Farmers Agri-Business Consortium (SFAC) are also designated as procurement agencies for pulses. Government ensures remunerative price to the growers by offering to procure their produce at MSP fixed by the Government. However, farmers are free to sell it to the Government agencies or in the open market as is advantageous to them.
(c): The Government has requested State Governments to undertake Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) wherever possible. Several States have started DBT under various schemes of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare.
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