Farmers in distress, procure Bengal gram under PSS: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to Centre
BENGALURU: The state government has urged the Centre to approve procurement of Bengal gram under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) at the earliest.
In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivaraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah stated that lakhs of Bengal gram farmers in the state are in distress. They are forced to sell their rabi produce for prices lower than the MSP of Rs 5,875 per quintal announced by the Centre.
Bengal gram is one of the state’s prominent pulse crops cultivated on 9.24 lakh hectares of land with an estimated production of 6.27 lakh tonnes in Dharwad, Gadag, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Chitradurga, Bagalkote, Davanagere and Chikkamagaluru districts, he said.
Despite the Centre declaring Rs 5,875 per quintal as MSP for Bengal gram for 2026-27 rabi season, prices in major APMC yards in the state rule between Rs 4,260 and Rs 5,813 per quintal. “In many places, farmers are reportedly forced to sell their produce for Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 below the MSP,” the CM said.
He urged the Centre to direct its nodal agencies such as NAFED and NCCF to procure Bengal gram at the earliest. The delay in procurement will defeat the very purpose of MSP. Farmers will lose confidence in institutional safeguards, he said.
The CM assured the Centre that Karnataka is ready to shoulder its responsibilities under the PSS framework. Karnataka is ready to cooperate with central agencies to ensure smooth procurement of Bengal gram, he said. Timely action will prevent distress sale of Bengal gram, help stabilise prices, and uphold the credibility of MSP, the CM said.