23 April 2026, New Delhi: In a major boost for farmers in Odisha, Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has approved the procurement of five key crops—moong, urad, groundnut, sunflower and mustard under the Minimum Support Price (MSP) mechanism. The total value of the approved procurement is expected to exceed ₹1,428.31 crore.
The decision was taken during a virtual meeting held at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi, with Odisha Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Empowerment Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo. During the meeting, the Centre reviewed Odisha’s proposals, production estimates and procurement requirements before granting approvals.
Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the central government would ensure full support to Odisha’s farmers, while stressing that the procurement process must remain transparent, honest and directly linked to genuine farmers. He emphasized that MSP benefits should reach actual producer farmers on time through a robust and corruption-free system.
Under the approved plan, Odisha will procure 34,492 metric tonnes of moong with an MSP value of ₹302.42 crore. Procurement of 1,19,387 metric tonnes of urad has been cleared with an MSP value of ₹931.21 crore. For groundnut, the Centre approved procurement of 20,219 metric tonnes worth ₹146.85 crore.
In addition, approval has been granted for procurement of 2,210 metric tonnes of sunflower valued at ₹17.06 crore. Mustard procurement of 4,964 metric tonnes has also been sanctioned, carrying an MSP value of ₹30.77 crore.
The procurement will be carried out under the PM-AASHA scheme for a period of 90 days. Odisha is already working on a PoS-based procurement system to improve transparency and streamline farmer payments.
The Union Minister also highlighted the importance of sunflower cultivation, noting that the crop has declined in many regions of the country. He said Odisha’s continued cultivation of sunflower is encouraging and assured the state of all possible support to expand acreage and production. Scientific and technical assistance will also be provided wherever required.
Calling for strict monitoring of the procurement process, Chouhan said middlemen must not be allowed to benefit at any stage. He urged the state government to establish a system where only genuine farmers can sell produce at MSP and traders cannot misuse the mechanism in the name of farmers.
The Centre, he added, remains fully committed to supporting Odisha’s farming community and ensuring that procurement benefits reach those who need them most.
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