What Happened
- The Union Cabinet approved procurement of gram (chickpea), mustard (rapeseed-mustard), and lentils (masoor) under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for the Rabi 2026 marketing season
- Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced state-wise procurement allocations: gram in Maharashtra (7.61 lakh MT), Gujarat (4.13 lakh MT), Madhya Pradesh (5.80 lakh MT), and Rajasthan (5.53 lakh MT); mustard in Rajasthan (13.79 lakh MT) and Gujarat (1.33 lakh MT); lentils in Madhya Pradesh (6.01 lakh MT)
- The minister also reviewed progress of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and urged states to utilise central funds before the March 31 fiscal year deadline
- Under the Pulses Self-Reliance Mission (Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses), pigeon pea, black gram, and lentils will be procured from pre-registered farmers through central nodal agencies until 2030–31
Static Topic Bridges
Price Support Scheme (PSS) and PM-AASHA
The Price Support Scheme (PSS) is a sub-scheme under the umbrella scheme Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA), launched in September 2018. PM-AASHA has four components: PSS (procurement of pulses, oilseeds, copra when market prices fall below MSP), Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS), Price Stabilisation Fund (PSF), and Market Intervention Scheme (MIS). PSS is operationalised on the request of concerned state governments when market prices of notified commodities fall below the MSP during the peak harvesting period.
- PM-AASHA launched: September 2018 — replaced multiple ad hoc intervention mechanisms
- Nodal agencies for PSS procurement: NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) and NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India)
- PSS covers: pulses, oilseeds, and copra — not foodgrains (wheat/rice, which are procured under FCI)
- Procurement is state-request-driven: central government acts only when a state signals distress
- PDPS (Price Deficit Payment Scheme): government pays the difference between MSP and market price directly into farmer bank accounts without physical procurement — applicable for oilseeds
Connection to this news: The Rabi 2026 procurement approvals are being processed under this PSS mechanism of PM-AASHA, triggered by anticipated market prices falling below the notified MSP for gram, mustard, and lentils in key producing states.
MSP Determination — Role of CACP
Minimum Support Price (MSP) in India is an administered price mechanism designed to provide a price floor for agricultural commodities, insulating farmers from market volatility and distress sales. The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) — a statutory body under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare — recommends MSPs for 23 mandated crops annually. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) formally approves and notifies the MSP.
- CACP considers: A2+FL cost (actual paid-out costs plus imputed value of family labour), C2 cost (A2+FL plus rental value of own land and interest on fixed capital), demand-supply scenario, inter-crop price parity, terms of trade between agriculture and non-agriculture, and likely implications for consumers
- Government policy (post-Swaminathan Commission): MSP to be at least 50% above A2+FL cost
- 23 crops covered: 14 Kharif, 6 Rabi, 2 commercial — including gram (chana), mustard (rapeseed-mustard), and lentil (masoor)
- Rabi crops: wheat, barley, gram, lentil (masoor), mustard/rapeseed, safflower
Connection to this news: Procurement is specifically triggered to ensure farmers receive the notified MSP for these Rabi 2026 crops, serving as the mechanism to operationalise the administered price floor.
Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses (2025–31)
The Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses was announced in the Union Budget 2025–26 with an allocation of ₹1,000 crore. It targets self-sufficiency in tur (pigeon pea), urad (black gram), and masoor (lentil) by 2030–31. India has historically been the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses but remains a significant importer due to a demand-supply gap. The mission addresses this through assured procurement, seed distribution, and area expansion.
- Procurement guarantee: 100% of tur, urad, and masoor at MSP for four years through NAFED and NCCF
- Seed support: 88 lakh free seed kits and 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds
- Production target: 350 lakh tonnes by 2030–31 across 310 lakh hectares
- Monitoring: SATHI (Synchronized Assessment of Technology, High-yield variety Implementation) portal for real-time tracking
- India's current status: world's largest producer (~25% of global output) but also largest importer (~14–15 lakh MT annually) — import gap concentrated in tur and urad
Connection to this news: The Rabi 2026 PSS procurement of lentils (masoor) is part of this broader mission framework, which extends guaranteed procurement to registered farmers as an incentive to expand production.
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), launched in 2007 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS), aims to incentivise states to increase public investment in agriculture and allied sectors. Under cooperative federalism, the Centre provides funds to states based on their Agricultural Plans, and states have flexibility in fund utilisation for local agri-development priorities. The scheme has been restructured over the years and is now implemented under the RKVY-RAFTAAR (Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied Sector Rejuvenation) framework.
- Launch year: 2007 (11th Five Year Plan)
- Funding pattern: 60:40 (Centre:State) for general states; 90:10 for NE and hill states
- RKVY-RAFTAAR (post-2017 restructuring): added a Agri-Entrepreneurship Programme (AgriEntrepreneurship) and a risk-capital component for agri-startups
- Fund utilisation deadline: March 31 (end of financial year) — unspent funds lapse back to Centre
- Nodal ministry: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare
Connection to this news: Agriculture Minister Chouhan's review of RKVY progress and his directive to states to utilise central funds before March 31 relates directly to this scheme's fund-lapse rule, underscoring the Centre-State coordination challenge in agricultural scheme implementation.
Key Facts & Data
- Gram procurement approved: ~23.07 lakh MT across Maharashtra, Gujarat, MP, Rajasthan
- Mustard procurement approved: ~15.12 lakh MT across Rajasthan and Gujarat
- Lentil procurement approved: 6.01 lakh MT in Madhya Pradesh
- PM-AASHA launched: September 2018 (umbrella scheme for farmer income protection)
- PSS nodal agencies: NAFED and NCCF
- Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses budget: ₹1,000 crore (Budget 2025–26)
- Pulses production target by 2030–31: 350 lakh tonnes
- RKVY launched: 2007; current form: RKVY-RAFTAAR (post-2017)
- India's pulse imports: approximately 14–15 lakh MT annually (tur and urad gap)