Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan

LOK SABHA 

PM-AASHA SCHEME

2172. SHRI Y.S. AVINASH REDDY
          SHRI KOMATI REDDY VENKAT REDDY
          SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a) the steps being taken for the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM- AASHA), which is the flagship programme to provide enhanced Minimum Support Price (MSP) of 50% above the cost of production to farmers (started in 2018), State-wise and year-wise also; and

(b) the funds sanctioned/spent in this regard till date and if not reasons therefor?

(SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a): PM-AASHA is an umbrella scheme comprising Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPSS). These schemes are implemented at the request of the State Governments / Union Territories. PSS is implemented for procurement of pulses, oilseeds and copra of Fair Average Quality (FAQ) at Minimum Support Price (MSP), whereas PDPS is implemented for oilseeds. However, States/UTs have options to choose either PSS or PDPS in a given procurement season with respect to a particular oilseed crop for the entire State. PDPS does not involve any physical procurement but envisages direct payment of the difference between the MSP and the selling / modal price to pre- registered farmers selling oilseeds of prescribed FAQ norms within the stipulated period in the notified market yard through a transparent auction process. PPSS is also implemented for oilseeds on pilot basis and States have the option for implementation of PPSS in district/selected APMC(s) of district involving the participation of private stockist.

The Union Budget for 2018-19 had announced the pre-determined principle to keep MSP at levels of one and half times of the cost of production. Hence, Government has increased the MSPs for all mandated Kharif, Rabi and other commercial crops with a return of at least 50 per cent over all India weighted average cost of production from the agricultural year 2018-19. Besides the overall market also responds to declaration of MSP and Government’s procurement operations which results in private procurement on or above the MSP benefitting the farmers for various notified crops. The procurement details of oilseeds, pulses and copra since 2018-19 is at Annexure-I.