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Agriculture Minister Promises Procurement if Oilseed and Pulse Prices Fall Below MSP
बातमीत का?
Prices below MSP after the edible oil duty cut? The PM-AASHA procurement route GS-III must name
The Centre said agencies will buy oilseeds and pulses if prices fall below MSP after the edible oil duty cut.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2020; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 मिनिटे
Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the government has to balance the interests of consumers and farmers after the cut in edible oil duties.
He announced that government agencies will procure oilseeds and pulses if growers are forced to sell below the minimum support price.
Such procurement is supported through the PM-AASHA umbrella scheme.
स्रोत: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
महत्त्वाची तथ्ये
Remember these
- Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said agencies will buy oilseeds and pulses if growers must sell below MSP.
- The assurance follows the cut in edible oil import duties, which raises worries about domestic oilseed prices.
- PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan) is the umbrella scheme for price support and procurement.
- PM-AASHA covers oilseeds, pulses and copra, and includes price support operations by central agencies.
- MSP is announced by the Centre on the basis of CACP recommendations.
पूर्व · मुख्य
How the exam will ask it
पूर्व
- PM-AASHA is an umbrella scheme for price support and procurement of oilseeds, pulses and copra, unlike PM-KISAN, which gives direct income support.
- Lowering import duty on edible oils reduces consumer prices but can depress domestic oilseed prices below MSP.
- Minimum Support Price is recommended by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and announced by the Union Government.
- e-NAM is an online trading platform for mandis and does not procure crops at MSP.
मुख्य
GS-III Agriculture: cutting edible oil import duty helps consumers and inflation but can pull domestic oilseed and pulse prices below MSP, hurting farmers and the goal of self-reliance in edible oils. Price support through PM-AASHA procurement is the corrective, but limited coverage and weak procurement capacity blunt its reach. The way forward is a balanced, calibrated tariff policy, wider and timely procurement, and price deficiency payments alongside productivity and processing gains.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Consider the following statements:
- In the case of all cereals, pulses and oil-seeds, the procurement at Minimum Support Price (MSP) is unlimited in any State/UT of India.
- In the case of cereals and pulses, the MSP is fixed in any State/UT at a level to which the market price will never rise.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
उत्तर पहा
उत्तर: D
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
Procurement of oilseeds, pulses and copra by Central agencies when market prices fall below the minimum support price is supported under which umbrella scheme?
- PM-KISAN
- Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
- e-NAM
- PM-AASHA
उत्तर पहा
उत्तर: D — Correct: PM-AASHA — PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan) is the umbrella scheme for price support and procurement of oilseeds, pulses and copra. • PM-KISAN — wrong: PM-KISAN provides direct income support of Rs 6,000 a year to farmer families and does not procure crops. • Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana — wrong: The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is a crop insurance scheme against yield losses, not a price-support procurement scheme. • e-NAM — wrong: e-NAM is an online trading platform linking mandis, and it does not itself procure crops at MSP.
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