New Delhi, Aug 30 (IANS): The Union government has granted permission to procure two more crops at support prices in Karnataka and instructions have been issued for the procurement of 19,760 MT of urad and 1.03 lakh MT of soybeans from farmers.

“It’s the central government’s gift to Karnataka farmers for the Ganesh festival,” announced Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Pralhad Joshi on Friday.

Speaking to the media in New Delhi, he stated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan have consistently responded to the problems of the state's farmers.

Minister Joshi has urged the state government to immediately open support price procurement centres across Karnataka and start the procurement process for urad and soybeans along with green gram and sunflower under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) scheme.

For the 2024-25 Kharif season in Karnataka, the Centre has approved the procurement of 19,760 MT of urad and 1,03,315 MT of soybeans under the MSP scheme, he informed.

Since the prices of these crops are lower in the open market, the Centre has taken this step under the MSP scheme to benefit farmers, he said.

The Ministry of Agriculture issued an order to the state government on August 29 to open procurement centres for a period of 90 days and procure urad and soybeans under the MSP scheme, informed Pralhad Joshi.

The Centre has fixed the support price for urad at Rs 7,400 per quintal and for soybeans at Rs 4,892 per quintal.

Compared to last year, the support price for urad, which was Rs 6,950, has been increased by Rs 450 in the current Kharif season. The support price for soybeans, which was Rs 4,600, has been increased by Rs 292.

Just a few days ago, the Union government had approved the procurement of green gram and sunflower at support prices. Now, it has also approved the procurement of urad and soybeans at support prices, which serves as a gift to the farmers of the state for the Ganesh festival, reiterated Minister Joshi.