Steps to improve access of farmers to foodgrains procurement agencies

The Government has taken a number of steps to increase awareness among farmers about Government foodgrains procurement. Farmers are made aware of the procurement operations by way of advertisements like displaying banners, pamphlets, announcement for procurement and specification in print and electronic media. Some States have taken steps to pre-register farmers for ensuring procurement from them through a software system. This information was given by the Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

 The steps taken to improve access for the procurement amongst the farmers are:

• Keeping in view the procurement potential areas, procurement centres for MSP operations are opened by Government agencies, both FCI and State Government, after mutual consultations.

·         Procurement centres are opened by respective State Govt. Agencies/  FCI taking into account the production, marketable surplus, convenience of farmers and availability of other logistics / infrastructure such as storage and transportation etc. Large number of temporary purchase centres in addition to the existing Mandis and depots/godowns are also established at key points for the convenience of the farmers.

·         The Govt. agencies also engage Co-operative Societies and Self Help Group which work as aggregators of produce from farmers and bring the produce to purchase centres being operated in particular locations/areas and increase outreach of MSP operations to small and marginal farmers. These Co-operative Societies are in addition to the direct purchases from farmers.

·         Co-operative societies/Self Help Groups are engaged in many States like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand and Rajasthan. Whereas, in some states like Punjab and Haryana, the Government of India has permitted the State Governments to engage Arhatiyas for procurement of foodgrains from the farmers on payment of commission. These steps have been taken by Government of India (GOI) so that Govt. agencies can procure maximum foodgrains directly from farmers by expanding out- reach of MSP benefit to farmers.

Courtesy: pib.nic.in