New Delhi, Feb 24 (UNI) Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday chaired a virtual meeting with agriculture ministers and senior officials of various states to review the progress of the National Agriculture Development Scheme and other agriculture advancement programmes.
During the meeting, the minister reviewed in detail the implementation of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and Krishi Unnati schemes.
He said that as the financial year is nearing its end, it is important that every rupee provided by the Centre to the states is spent on time and properly for the welfare of farmers.
Chouhan held review discussions with Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Tripura, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.
He urged the states to fully utilise the allocated funds by March 31 to ensure benefits reach farmers, improve agricultural infrastructure and increase productivity.
He said that a total of 18 schemes are being implemented under RKVY and Krishi Unnati, and the Centre wants their benefits to reach every village and every farm.
The minister also highlighted that the Government of India is committed to providing price support to farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA).
The scheme includes the Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) and Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF), aimed at ensuring fair and remunerative prices for farmers’ produce and protecting them from market fluctuations.
He said that under PM-AASHA, large-scale procurement of gram, mustard and lentil will be undertaken during the Rabi 2026 season to ensure strong price support.
Under the Price Support Scheme for Rabi 2026, approval has been given for the procurement of 7,61,250 metric tonnes of gram in Maharashtra, 4,13,250 metric tonnes in Gujarat, 5,80,000 metric tonnes in Madhya Pradesh and 5,53,000 metric tonnes in Rajasthan.
Similarly, approval has been granted for the procurement of 13,78,750 metric tonnes of mustard in Rajasthan and 1,33,000 metric tonnes in Gujarat.
In addition, procurement of 6,01,000 metric tonnes of lentil in Madhya Pradesh has also been approved for the Rabi 2026 season.
Officials said that these decisions will ensure that farmers in the concerned states can sell their produce at the Minimum Support Price and are protected from price falls.
Chouhan further said that under the Pulses Self-Reliance Mission, the Centre will procure tur, urad and lentil from pre-registered farmers through central nodal agencies till 2030-31.
He said the move will provide assured markets and strengthen the country’s goal of achieving self-sufficiency in pulses production.
