B.R. Patil, MLA for Aland, has urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to lead a delegation from the State to the Centre to press for an increase in the procurement cap on red gram.
In a letter addressed to the CM, Mr. Patil has urged the State government to request the Union Agriculture Minister to increase red gram procurement from the State. Noting that the State was accorded permission for procurement of 16.57 lakh tonnes of red gram at MSP, with effect from December 15 through the procurement centres established across the State, he said: “This year, we are expecting around 40 lakh quintals of red gram production from Kalaburagi district alone, and the government has decided to procure only 16.57 lakh quintals from the State.”
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Meanwhile, members of the Karnataka Pranth Raitha Sangha (KPRS) have demanded that the district administration start red gram procurement operations immediately. KPRS State president Maruti Manpade said though the crop entered the market a fortnight ago, the district administration has not yet begun procurement through the Vyavasaya Seva Sahakara Bank Niyamitha (VSSBN) established in each taluk of the district.
He said though the Union government had revised the MSP for red gram from ₹5,050 to ₹5,450 a quintal, and the State government had added its incentive of ₹550 to bring the total to ₹6,000 a quintal, the prevailing market prices in Kalaburagi were between ₹4,000 and ₹4,500, much lower than the MSP.
The centres will procure up to 20 quintals from each farmer, but the farmers would prefer to sell their entire produce as the supply is higher than the demand, he said. Mr. Manpade said the purpose of establishing the centres would not be served if the district administration delayed operations. The farmers will suffer and will carry on distress sale of their produce, he said.
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