BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately approve MSP procurement of tur dal through National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumers Federation (NCCE), and ensure immediate operational deployment across Karnataka’s major procurement centers before peak arrivals begin.
Any further postponement at this critical juncture will inevitably lead to farmer unrest, price collapse, and a serious breakdown of trust in MSP as a viable public policy instrument, the Chief Minister said.
During the current kharif season (2025-26), tur dal has been sown across approximately 16.8 lakh hectares in Karnataka, with an expected production of over 12.60 lakh MT.
The crop represents the backbone of income for farmers across major growing districts, including Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bidar, Raichur, Vijayapura, Koppal, Belagavi, Ballari, Vijayanagara, Bagalkot, Kolar, Chikkaballapura, and Chitradurga districts that embody both the agrarian strength and resilience of the state, the CM said. Karnataka had submitted a formal proposal seeking immediate approval for MSP-based procurement of tur dal through NAFED and NCCF on November 6.
The CM stated that currently the market prices range between Rs 5,830 and Rs 6,700 per quintal, while the MSP announced for tur dal for 2025-26 stands at nearly Rs 8,000 per quintal.
Peak arrivals are expected between December 2025 and January 2026, but the Union Government will open the procurement centres only in February and March. It is evident that farmers are staring at a serious income shock, unless timely and decisive intervention is undertaken by the Union Government, he added.
“When the market price falls below MSP, it is not merely a question of economics; it is a question of trust between the farmer and the state.
Farmers have sown their crops trusting the MSP assurance given by the Centre.
Every day of delay is pushing Karnataka’s farmers closer to distress sales, debt traps and irreversible financial damage,” the Chief Minister further added.