The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCF) are encouraging farmers to diversify into pulses and lentils, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs Piyush Goyal said, adding, they are willing to provide assured prices for five-year contracts for government procurement.
Goyal's comment came during his address at NAFED: Pulse 2024 Convention by Global Pulse Confederation in co-operation with NAFED on February 15.
During his address, Goyal also thanked the farmers of India for their contribution towards making India self-sufficient and making the country a large producer of food grains, pulses, lentils, vegetables, fruits. He said that this has led to expansion both in production and quality of different food products to make India an exporter of over $50 billion of agri and related products.
The Union minister further noted that over the last decade due to the commitment and capabilities of the farmers, pulses production has grown by 60 percent from 171 lakh tonnes in 2014 to 270 lakh tonnes in 2024.
India is the largest producer and fifth largest exporter of millets in the world and the government is also putting similar focus on pulses and lentils as with millets.
Speaking about minimum support price (MSP), Goyal said that MSP today assures a 50 percent price return over the actual cost of production to the farmers, thereby providing an attractive return on investment.
The minister also said that MSP is highest at present with increase of 117 percent in the case of masoor, 90 percent in moong, 75 percent more for chana dal and 60 percent more for toor and urad over the amount provided a decade back.
The minister's remarks come at a time when farmers have put forth several demands before the Union government for which they're marching to Delhi. One of the demands is a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission report.
They also want a complete debt waiver and a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.
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