Nafed procures 2.02 lt from Gujarat: Centre’s groundnut procurement from state lowest in six years

The central authorities procured 2.02 lakh metric tonnes (lt) groundnut from Gujarat on the minimal assist value (MSP) within the Kharif advertising and marketing season 2020-21 — the bottom procurement since 2016.
Also, for the primary time prior to now six years, the groundnut procurement from the state has remained under the allotted quota.
The procurement operations additionally ended earlier than schedule, as lower than one-fourth of the whole registered farmers bought their produce to the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (Nafed).

According to knowledge accessible with the Nafed, whole 2.02 lt groundnut was procured from Gujarat between October 26 and January 12. This is simply half of 4 lt quota initially sanctioned by the Central authorities for bodily procurement of groundnut from Gujarat underneath its value assist scheme (PSS), officers of Nafed stated.
Jayesh Radadiya, Minister of Food, Civil Supply and Consumer Affairs of Gujarat, stated that the Centre had in actual fact authorised whole quota of 11 lt for Gujarat. The procurement operations got here to an finish on January 12, stated officers of Gujarat State Civil Supplies Corporation Limited (GSCSCL), the Gujarat authorities endeavor which was engaged because the state degree company (SLA) by Nafed for working procurement operations.
Only 1.13 lakh farmers – which is round 24 per cent of 4.69 lakh farmers who had received themselves registered to promote their groundnut to the federal government — turned up at procurement centres arrange by GSCSCL on behalf of Nafed. Out of them, groundnut of three,558 was rejected as a result of not assembly truthful common high quality norms whereas crop of 109 farmers was procured.
The authorities had made these procurements on the MSP of Rs 5,275 per quintal and the whole procurement of two.02 lt is price Rs 1,068 crore. Data exhibits that 99 per cent of farmers have been paid in opposition to procurement of their groundnut.
Nafed has been procuring groundnut, the second most necessary money crop of the state after cotton, from Gujarat yearly since 2016. NAFED had procured 2.16 lakh tonnes (lt) of the oilseed from Gujarat in 2016-17, which rose to eight.28 lt, 4.25 lt and 5 lt within the following three cropping years.
But this yr, the procurement was occurring within the backdrop of farmers’ protests in New Delhi in opposition to the three new farm legal guidelines, which farmers declare, would spell doom for agricultural produce market committee (APMC) system.
But Radadiya stated the low turnout and underutilisation of quota was as a result of larger costs of groundnut in open market. “Market was up this year since the very beginning of the groundnut marketing season. Prices in open market were Rs 5,500 to Rs 5,750 as compared to Rs 5,275 MSP,” Radadiya informed The Indian Express on Tuesday.
More than 27,000 farmers had been ready for cost as of January 4 after promoting their groundnut to the federal government. But the minister stated that was not an element dissuading farmers to promote their oilseed to authorities.
“On an average, we are releasing payment to farmers within a week. This is an ongoing process but there was no delay in payments whatsoever,” he added.
SS Srivastava, supervisor of Ahmedabad department of Nafed additionally stated that larger costs of groundnut in agricultural produce market committee (APMC) mandis was the rationale of general decrease procurement. “Why the farmers would come to government when he is getting Rs5400 or Rs5500 in market,” he stated.
The supervisor additionally rejected suggestion of delay in cost being a consider decrease turnout of farmers. “If you analyse data of APMCs, modal rate is ruling above MSP. So, payment doesn’t come into picture,” stated Srivastava.
Bhupat Kakadiya, a farmer from Magharvada village in Rajkot agrees.
“Prices in open market were higher than MSP when I carted my 15 quintal groundnut to procurement centre in Rajkot. But my groundnut seemingly looked not of best quality and I feared that I might get lower price in APMC. Therefore, I sold my groundnut to government on January 8. I got payment on January 22,” Kakadiya, who has been promoting his oilseed crop to authorities for the previous three years stated, including, “This year, the procurement was quite smooth. But the only complaint was that the government had set the MSP low.”

Even on Tuesday, modal price of groundnut in Rajkot and Gondal APMCs, the 2 largest wholesale markets of groundnut within the state, had been larger than the MSP.
Kishor Viradiya, president of Saurashtra Oil Mills Association (SOMA), the Jamnagar-based organisation of oil millers, stated imports from China has stored costs agency in APMCs within the state. “China has aggressively imported Indian peanuts and groundnut oil, helping keep prices of groundnut up in domestic market. Groundnut of fair average quality is selling above Rs 1,100 even today,” he stated.
Data accessible with Agricultural & Processed Food Export Development Authority (APEDA) exhibits India exported 3.69 lakh MT groundnut price Rs 3,113 crore between April and November final yr.
Gujarat is the biggest producer of groundnut and the farmers had sown the oilseed crop in file 20.65 lakh hectare in final Kharif season. In its First Advanced Estimate, the state authorities had pegged the manufacturing of the groundnut at 54.64 lakh MT however has since revised it to 38.27 lakh MT within the Second Advanced Estimate.