Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired a comprehensive review meeting of National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) at his Safdarjung residence in New Delhi to accelerate procurement reforms and advance India’s pulses self-reliance agenda.
The meeting assessed ongoing procurement under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) and the Price Stabilization Fund (PSF), with detailed discussions on operational bottlenecks, system efficiency, and ensuring that farmers receive the full benefit of the Minimum Support Price (MSP). The Minister directed officials to make MSP procurement more robust, transparent, and time-bound so that farmers are paid promptly and without procedural delays.
He emphasized strengthening procurement centres with adequate manpower, infrastructure, and digital systems to ensure seamless operations during peak arrivals. Timely payments, clear procurement schedules, scientific storage, and streamlined logistics were identified as priority interventions. Maintaining farmers’ confidence in the government procurement mechanism, he noted, remains paramount.
Special focus was placed on scaling up production and procurement of key pulses such as tur (arhar), urad, and masur, given their strategic role in nutrition security and import substitution. The proposed six-year “Self-Reliance in Pulses Mission” aims to enhance domestic output while guaranteeing assured MSP-backed procurement to stabilize farmer incomes and reduce import dependence.
Under the mission framework, measures under consideration include promotion of improved agronomic practices, distribution of high-quality seeds, expanded technical extension services, and strengthening of marketing and procurement infrastructure. The objective is to achieve durable self-sufficiency in pulses, stabilize domestic prices, and ensure steady income growth for growers.
The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to reducing intermediary dependence by directly integrating farmers into the public procurement ecosystem. He also called for closer coordination with states to ensure uniform and efficient implementation across regions. Directions were issued to upgrade storage and warehousing infrastructure to prevent post-procurement losses and enhance buffer stock management.
Effective procurement planning aligned with crop production estimates and peak arrival periods was stressed as essential for market stability. Officials briefed the Minister on the current status of MSP-based procurement operations, key challenges, and corrective measures being undertaken.
Senior ministry officials, including Secretary Devesh Chaturvedi, Additional Secretary Pramod Kumar Meherda, Additional Secretary Maninder Kaur Dwivedi, and NAFED Managing Director Deepak Agarwal, were present at the meeting and presented operational updates and reform proposals.
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