Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM- AASHA)

PM- AASHA (conceptualized in September, 2018) was launched with the aim to ensure remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce. The nodal ministry is Ministry of Agriculture and Family Welfare. PM- AASHA has three main components,

• Under Price Support Scheme (PSS), physical procurement of pulses, oilseeds and copra is done by Central Nodal Agencies
• Under Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), farmers will get direct payment of the difference between the MSP and the selling price of all notified oilseeds.
• Under Pilot of Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PDPS), private sector participation in procurement of crops is encouraged.
• Food Corporation of India (FCI) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) has taken up Price Support Scheme (PSS) operations in the state.
• The scheme has made promotion of Gramin Agricultural Markets to support retail markets in close proximity of farm gates.

Challenges

• Lack of robust procurement infrastructure for non-paddy crops in eastern India like Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal.
• Price Support Scheme (PSS) limits procurement of crops to 25% of state production.
• Notification of all pulses and oilseed crops under PSS leads to NAFED falling short of working capital as marketing prices of these commodities is way lower than declared MSPs leading to farmer selling his produce only to government agencies.
• Shortage of storage facilities and trained man power to handle the influx of new crops.

Ways to Improve

• Ensure that farmers receive fair remunerative prices.
• Implement the recent government provision of procuring crops at 150% of cost of its production
• Procurement needs to be laid down to encourage private sector participation.
• Shift from cereal-centric agricultural policy towards other crops like oilseeds, pulses etc.
• Change in cropping pattern.