Mumbai, May 22 (NationPress) In a significant boost for farmers grappling with the challenges posed by unseasonal rains and outstanding tur stock purchases, the Centre has now pushed the deadline for procurement to May 28.

“In light of the requests from tur farmers and local representatives in Maharashtra, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has officially extended the procurement deadline for tur under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) via NAFED and NCCF until May 28. This decision has provided substantial relief to the farmers in our state,” stated Maharashtra Marketing Minister Jayakumar Rawal on Thursday.

He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for considering the needs of the tur farmers and extending the procurement period.

The initial deadline had been set for May 13. Recognizing the ongoing issues faced by tur farmers, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Minister Rawal had appealed to the Central government for an extension. Consequently, a proposal was submitted by the Marketing Department to the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Welfare. The government has responded favorably, extending the deadline to May 28, as noted in their announcement.

Minister Rawal added that in Maharashtra, a total of 1,37,458 farmers have registered online for tur purchases, with 1,02,951 metric tonnes of tur acquired from 69,189 farmers as of May 13.

“According to the guidelines from the Central Government, the 90-day window for procurement closed on May 13. There was a pressing need to extend the period for the remaining registered farmers to procure tur at the guaranteed price,” he elaborated.

The Central government has sanctioned the acquisition of 2,97,430 metric tonnes of tur under the PSS for the 2024-2025 season. Currently, 764 procurement centers are operational across the state through eight state-level nodal institutions, alongside the central nodal entities NAFED and NCCF.

“Farmers can purchase tur at a guaranteed price of Rs 7,550 through NAFED and NCCF. This initiative has proven beneficial as the market prices of tur are currently low. Hence, we urged the central government to extend the purchase deadline for the remaining farmers, allowing them to buy tur at the assured price,” the announcement stated.

A senior official from the state Agriculture Department mentioned that to date, the Centre has procured 3,40,000 tonnes of tur (pigeon pea) this year under the PSS, as per data from the agriculture ministry.

“Tur procurement is being conducted at a minimum support price (MSP) under this scheme. The ministry has approved the procurement of 13.22 lakh tonnes of tur from nine states. The government aims to sustain a buffer stock of 10 lakh tonnes of tur to release into the open market to stabilize prices,” the official stated.