BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to prevent distress sale, the State Government on Thursday decided to procure pulses and oil seeds of 2017-18 kharif season from the farmers through Odisha State Cooperative Marketing Fedeartion (Markfed).Markfed will procure green gram (moong), black gram (biri), arhar, groundnut and sunflower seeds from farmers at minium support price (MSP) announced by the Government.The decision has been taken as per the request of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed), which is undertaking such exercises all over the country in association with Government agencies. The money spent by the Government will be reimbursed by Nafed. As per an action plan prepared by the Government, these farm produce will be procured by Markfed under the price support system.
The Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) and Regulated Market Committees (RMCs) will assist Markfed in the procurement of these crops from farmers. The Agriculture department will come out with a notification in this regard shortly.The Centre has fixed the MSP for moong at `5,575 per quintal including a bonus of `200, biri at `5,400 (including bonus of `200), arhar `5,450 (including bonus of `200), groundnut-in-shell at `4,450 (including bonus of `200) and sunflower seed at `4,100 (including `100 as bonus) per quintal for 2017-18 kharif season.
Balangir, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jagatsingpur, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kendrapara, Khurda, Nayagar and Puri are major moong producing districts while the districts of Angul, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Kendrapara and Puri are known for higher production of biri. Similarly, sizeable groundnut production is reported from Balasore, Balangir, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kalahandi, Mayurbhanj and Puri districts.
The Government has targeted to procure sunflower seeds from Bhadrak, Gajapati and Ganjam districts. However, surplus crops from farmers of other districts will also be procured, sources in the department said.The State Government, which has written to the Centre, has got necessary permission for procurement of these crops from farmers.