NEW DELHI: Government on Wednesday approved the continuation of PM-Aasha , an umbrella scheme to ensure minimum support price (MSP) to farmers, and subsidy on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for the upcoming rabi season of 2024-25 with a cumulative outlay of nearly Rs 60,000 crore.
While the Rs 35,000 crore for PM-Aasha aims to provide better prices to farmers and also control price volatility of essential commodities for consumers, the fertiliser subsidy will ensure supply of crop nutrients to farmers at affordable prices. Govt said rationalisation of subsidy on P&K fertilisers is in view of recent trends in the international prices of chemical nutrients and inputs.
Under the PM-Aasha move, govt has now integrated Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF), Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) into one programme, and introduced some flexibility to procure higher quantity of oilseeds and pulses.
"The integrated scheme of PM-Aasha will bring-in more effectiveness in the implementation which would not only help in providing remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce but also control the price volatility of essential commodities by ensuring their availability at affordable prices to consumers," an official statement said
Under the PSS, procurement of notified pulses, oilseeds and copra at MSP will be 25% of national production from 2024-25 season onwards. This would enable states to procure more of these crops at MSP from farmers to prevent distress sale.
"However, this ceiling will not be applicable in case of tur, urad and masoor for 2024-25 season as there will be a 100% procurement of tur, urad and masoor during the 2024-25 season as decided earlier," said govt.
The Centre has also renewed and enhanced the existing govt guarantee to Rs 45,000 crore for procurement of notified pulses, oilseeds and copra at MSP. This will help in more procurement of these crops whenever prices fall below MSP in the market.
Referring to the decisions on PM-Aasha and another one to provide subsidy of Rs 24,475 crore on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for Rabi season, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Cabinet's decisions would give new impetus to the govt's commitment to reduce production cost, increase income of farmers and make farming a profitable business.
While the Rs 35,000 crore for PM-Aasha aims to provide better prices to farmers and also control price volatility of essential commodities for consumers, the fertiliser subsidy will ensure supply of crop nutrients to farmers at affordable prices. Govt said rationalisation of subsidy on P&K fertilisers is in view of recent trends in the international prices of chemical nutrients and inputs.
Under the PM-Aasha move, govt has now integrated Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF), Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) into one programme, and introduced some flexibility to procure higher quantity of oilseeds and pulses.
"The integrated scheme of PM-Aasha will bring-in more effectiveness in the implementation which would not only help in providing remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce but also control the price volatility of essential commodities by ensuring their availability at affordable prices to consumers," an official statement said
Under the PSS, procurement of notified pulses, oilseeds and copra at MSP will be 25% of national production from 2024-25 season onwards. This would enable states to procure more of these crops at MSP from farmers to prevent distress sale.
"However, this ceiling will not be applicable in case of tur, urad and masoor for 2024-25 season as there will be a 100% procurement of tur, urad and masoor during the 2024-25 season as decided earlier," said govt.
The Centre has also renewed and enhanced the existing govt guarantee to Rs 45,000 crore for procurement of notified pulses, oilseeds and copra at MSP. This will help in more procurement of these crops whenever prices fall below MSP in the market.
Referring to the decisions on PM-Aasha and another one to provide subsidy of Rs 24,475 crore on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for Rabi season, Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Cabinet's decisions would give new impetus to the govt's commitment to reduce production cost, increase income of farmers and make farming a profitable business.
