"MSP for pulses and oilseeds remains largely notional without effective procurement." Critically examine this in the light of PM-AASHA.

The government announces a Minimum Support Price (MSP) for pulses and oilseeds, but farmers get it only if an agency actually buys at that price. PM-AASHA brings together three tools: the Price Support Scheme (PSS), the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) [2]. It has narrowed this gap but not closed it.

How PM-AASHA makes MSP real

• Large-scale buying: For KMS 2026-27, ₹5,547.99 crore was approved to buy tur, moong, soybean and sunflower in UP, Karnataka and Telangana. Payment goes directly into farmers' bank accounts [1].
• Full buying for some pulses: The limit on how much can be bought was removed for tur, urad and masoor, so up to 100% of a state's crop can be procured [3]. The ₹11,440 crore Pulses Mission commits NAFED and NCCF to buy these crops for four years [4].
• Support without buying the crop: PDPS pays farmers the gap between MSP and the market price, so the government does not need to buy and store the crop [2].

Why MSP still remains largely notional

• The 25% limit: For other pulses and oilseeds, PSS buying starts with a limit of 25% of state production [3]. So about three-quarters of the soybean and moong crop is still sold at market prices.
• Approval state by state: Buying is approved for each state separately [3]. If approval comes late, farmers may already have sold cheaply at harvest.
• Spending concentrated in one crop: Tur alone is about 71% of the 2026-27 amount [1]. Moong is not covered by the 100% buying promise [4].
• Trade policy works against it: Cutting Basic Customs Duty on crude edible oils from 20% to 10% [5] makes imported oil cheaper and pulls down prices for Indian oilseeds. India already imports 56% of its edible oil [6].

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture has therefore recommended raising PM-AASHA buying from 25% to 100% [6].

Conclusion

The statement is largely true for oilseeds and for pulses outside the Pulses Mission. It is less true for tur, urad and masoor. The way forward is to:

• extend PDPS for oilseeds, using digital land and crop records;
• make sure states ask for buying on time;
• keep import duties consistent with NMEO-Oilseeds' goal of about 72% self-sufficiency by 2030-31 [7].

Making MSP work for these crops will support self-reliance in pulses and edible oils and help farmers move away from rice and wheat.