New Delhi: The government has procured pulses and oilseeds worth Rs 44,142 crore at minimum support prices from farmers in the four years to 2018-19, the agriculture ministry said Tuesday.


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“During 5 years from 2009-10 to 2013-14, only a quantity of 7.28 lakh MT of pulses and oilseeds valuing Rs. 3117.38 crore was procured at MSP whereas during the period from 2014-15 to 2018-19, a quantity of 93.97 lakh MT of pulses and oilseeds valuing Rs. 44,142.50 crore were procured at MSP by government of India.


Procurement of 78.84 Lakh MT amounting to Rs 35,800 crore alone has been contributed by the states of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana & Andhra Pradesh, the government said.


More than 54 lakh farmers benefitted from the procurement of pulses and oilseeds during this period indicating that on an average a farmer was benefitted to the extent of approximately Rs. 80,000 by this MSP procurement. The procurement of pulses and oilseeds has increased by almost 13 times during the year 2014 till date as compared to the procurement done from 2009-2014.


The country has reported production of 25.23 Million Tonnes of pulses during 2017-18 against production of 14.66 Million Tonnes in the year 2009-10, an increase of 72.10%. Similarly, the production of oilseeds has increased from 24.88 Million Tonnes to 31.3 Million Tonnes during the same period, registering an increase of 25.80%.


The ministry said that to bold step to raise Minimum Support Price to 1.5 times of cost of production undertaken this year will further encourage the farmers to grow more pulses and oilseeds. Notably, the MSP of Moong has increased from Rs. 4500 per quintal in 2013-14 to Rs. 6979 in 2018-19. Similarly for Urad from Rs. 4300 to Rs. 5600 per quintal and for Sunflower from Rs. 3700 to Rs. 5388 per quintal.