New Delhi, June 24: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah has directed the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation (NCCF) to procure pulses and oilseeds directly from farmers, eliminating the role of middlemen in the procurement process. The move is aimed at ensuring that farmers receive fair prices for their produce and that the benefits of government procurement schemes reach them directly.
Speaking at the launch of several NAFED initiatives in New Delhi, Shah emphasized the need to strengthen direct procurement mechanisms at the grassroots level. He said that purchases should be made directly from farmers rather than through traders or intermediaries, and called for wider adoption of digital procurement platforms to make the process more transparent and efficient.
Shah noted that while the production and procurement of pulses have increased in recent years, India has yet to achieve full self-sufficiency in the sector. He stated that direct procurement would encourage farmers to expand cultivation of pulses and oilseeds while ensuring better returns for their produce. The minister also set a two-year target for NAFED and NCCF to establish a system through which farmers can sell directly to the cooperatives and receive payments without intermediaries.
The decision is expected to reduce the influence of middlemen in agricultural marketing and improve income realization for farmers across the country, while supporting the government’s broader goal of achieving self-reliance in pulses and edible oil production.
