Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday said that the Centre has approved the procurement of 9.67 lakh metric tonnes of tur in Karnataka under the Price Support Scheme (PSS).
"After his request, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan immediately approved for procurement of tur dal in the state produced in kharif season through NAFED and NCCF at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), " Joshi said in a statement.
Tur growers in Karnataka were in distress as market prices had fallen below the MSP. A couple of days ago Joshi had written to Chouhan, urging immediate procurement of tur under the PSS.
Karnataka is one of the leading tur-producing states, with an estimated production of 12.60 lakh metric tonnes in 2025-26.
Currently, the modal market price of tur ranges between Rs 5,830 and Rs 6,700 per quintal, while the MSP announced for the 2025-26 season is Rs 8,000 per quintal. Since the market price is lower than the MSP, farmers were facing severe hardship.
Joshi stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have always stood firmly behind Karnataka’s tur growers by understanding their difficulties and approved procurement at MSP, the statement said.