The Centre has extended the period of groundnut procurement from Odisha farmers at minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 4,220 per quintal till August 31, 2017 on the request of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh, responding to a letter of Pradhan, said the Ministry has approved the procurement of 33,139 quintals of groundnut in Odisha under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) for Rabi 2016-17 session till August-end while the procurement period had ended since June.
Pradhan had written to Singh seeking an extension in the groundnut procurement period after lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapata of Krushna Prasad block in Puri district apprised him about district sale of groundnut in the State. Pradhan had apprised Singh that about 34,000 quintals of groundnut were lying unsold after the procurement period.
He too informed that farmers were protesting the distress sale which was caused by a fall in the market price between Rs 2,500 and Rs 3,600.