Centre Extends Soybean Procurement Deadline in Maharashtra to January 31 and Rajasthan to February 4

The soybean procurement deadline in Maharashtra has been extended to 31 January, and in Rajasthan to 4 February, as announced by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. This decision follows requests from the respective state governments. Initially, the deadlines were set for 12 January in Maharashtra and 15 January in Rajasthan. The government has also approved an additional procurement of 25,000 tonnes from Telangana, which has already met its initial target of 59,508 tonnes.

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Procurement efforts are ongoing across the country. "We have extended the deadline for procurement in both Maharashtra and Rajasthan on state governments' requests," Chouhan stated to reporters. Nationwide, procurement has reached 13.68 lakh tonnes against a target of 33.60 lakh tonnes. Maharashtra has the highest target of 14.13 lakh tonnes, followed by Madhya Pradesh with a target of 13.68 lakh tonnes.

Price Support Scheme and Procurement Targets

The Price Support Scheme is facilitating procurement at a Minimum Support Price of Rs 4,892 per quintal to aid farmers facing lower market prices. Telangana, Karnataka, and Rajasthan have comparatively lower procurement targets than Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The minister addressed concerns about lower procurement levels, stating that state governments are responsible for making necessary arrangements.

Chouhan plans to hold weekly meetings every Monday at Krishi Bhavan to assess crop conditions, procurement progress, price trends, and weather conditions. He mentioned that they would consider extending deadlines for other states if similar requests are received.

In summary, the government's actions aim to support farmers through extended deadlines and additional procurement measures amidst challenging market conditions.