Union Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Thursday launched a tur dal procurement portal through which farmers can register and sell their produce to NAFED and NCCF at a minimum support price or market price, saying that the move aims to make India self-reliant in pulses by 2027.

It may be noted that the tur dal procurement portal comes at a time when the domestic tur output in the 2023-24 kharif season is anticipated to be lower for the second straight year in view of fall in acreage and the central nodal agencies hope to procure maximum quantity for maintaining sufficient buffer and keep a lid on retail inflation ahead of general elections.

After the launch, Shah said before the sowing operation, tur farmers can register on the portal to sell their produce to NAFED and NCCF at minimum support price (MSP).

A similar facility will be unveiled in future for urad and masoor farmers as well as maize farmers, he said.

The minister also transferred via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) about Rs 68 lakh to 25 farmers registered with NAFED and NCCF towards payment for sale of tur via the multilingual portal.

The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) are two central nodal agencies that undertake pulses procurement on behalf of the government for maintaining a buffer stock. They also buy pulses under the Price Support Scheme when the rates fall below the MSP.

The registered tur farmers will have an option to sell either to NAFED/NCCF or in the open market.

Suppose the open market price of tur remains higher than the MSP at the time of harvesting, in that case an average rate will be arrived through a formula, he said, adding that the payment will be done through DBT.

Noting that more farmers were not taking up pulses farming in the country because prices were not assured, he said that with procurement via the portal, the initiative will bring a major reform in the agriculture sector and help achieve self-reliance in pulses production.

“Tur will be procured from farmers and it is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s guarantee,” he added.

Tur production had touched a record of 4.87 million tonnes in 2016-17 kharif season and in the consecutive years the output fell and reached as low as 3.31 million tonnes in 2022-23.

As per the initial estimate of the agriculture ministry, tur output is pegged at 3.42 million tonnes for 2023-24 kharif season.