PM-AASHA boosts procurement, digital reforms to raise farmer incomes

New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) emerged as a structured mechanism assuring agricultural procurement, price stabilisation and market interventions to ensure better price realisation for farmers, reduce distress sales, and promote a stable and resilient agricultural economy in the country, an official factsheet said on Friday.

The programme has enabled timely purchase of pulses, oilseeds and copra through agencies such as NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India) and NCCF (National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India).

It has established additional procurement centres to strengthen market access and led to collective empowerment of farmers, the statement said.

PM-AASHA is the government’s flagship price support framework which along with digital reforms and infrastructure support have improved transparency, efficiency and reach of procurement operations across states.

Digital reforms, including Aadhaar-enabled authentication, e-NAM, e-Samriddhi, and e-Samyukti, have improved transparency and procurement efficiency. Support from the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund and expanded procurement coverage have further strengthened the scheme.

The budget allocation for PM-AASHA has steadily increased over the years. In 2024–25, the actual expenditure under the scheme was Rs 5437.99 crore. The budget increased to Rs 6,941.36 crore in 2025–26 and was further raised to Rs 7,200.00 crore in 2026-27. This reflects the government’s focus on ensuring income support for farmers and strengthening price assurance mechanisms.

Paddy (common) cultivation incurred a cost of Rs 1,627 per quintal in 2026–27, while its MSP was Rs 2,441 per quintal, yielding a margin of Rs 814. Soybean (yellow) cultivation cost Rs 3,805 per quintal, while its MSP was Rs 5,708 per quintal, yielding a margin of Rs 1,903.

Wheat had a production cost of Rs 1,239 per quintal and an MSP of Rs 2,585 per quintal in 2026–27, ensuring a Rs 1,346 margin. Meanwhile, jute has a production cost of Rs 3,662 per quintal and an MSP of Rs 5,925 per quintal, providing the highest margin of Rs 2,293.

—IANS

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