- Why in news
- On 23 April 2026 the Consumer Affairs Ministry said PM-AASHA procurement was expanding. NCCF began its first organised masoor procurement in Bihar, and Chhattisgarh operations crossed 12,000 MT.
- What it is
- PM-AASHA (Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanRakshan Abhiyan) is a central scheme to ensure farmers get remunerative prices. Its Price Support Scheme component buys pulses, oilseeds and copra at MSP through central nodal agencies such as NAFED and NCCF.
- Agencies
- NCCF and NAFED are the central agencies doing procurement in Chhattisgarh. NCCF has also started masoor buying in Bihar.
- Storage
- Storage in Bihar uses WDRA-approved warehouses run with the Central Warehousing Corporation.
- Scheme components
- PM-AASHA was launched in 2018. It includes the Price Support Scheme, Price Deficiency Payment Scheme and Pilot of Private Procurement and Stockist Scheme.
Don’t confuse with PSS vs PDPS: Under the Price Support Scheme, agencies physically buy the crop at MSP. Under the Price Deficiency Payment Scheme, the gap between MSP and market price is paid to farmers without physical procurement.
Don’t confuse with NAFED vs NCCF: Both are cooperative federations acting as central nodal agencies for procurement. NAFED focuses on agricultural marketing; NCCF on consumer cooperatives.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Assured MSP buying supports pulse farmers and encourages higher output, reducing import dependence.
- Procurement also builds buffer stocks to help stabilise prices.
Problems
- Farmer registration is low in new areas, e.g. only 59 farmers onboarded in Bihar and 28 masoor farmers benefited in Chhattisgarh under NCCF.
- Limited procurement centres, storage and digital access can exclude small farmers.
Way forward
- Expand PACS and FPO networks and awareness, with timely payments through DBT.
- Link procurement with warehousing and buffer stock planning.
- 2018Mains GS3 · Q3Define Minimum Support Price and explain how it rescues farmers from low income trap
- 2024Mains GS3 · Q14Importance of buffer stocks for stabilizing prices and storage challenges
- 2017Mains GS3 · Q15Significance of crop insurance, MSP and food processing for small farmers
- 2020Prelims Q69Whether MSP procurement is unlimited for cereals, pulses, oilseeds in all states
- 2009Prelims Q9Whether CACP recommends MSP for 32 crops and National Food Security Mission launch
- 2023Prelims Q27Statements on government MSP for niger seed, its kharif cultivation, and tribal use
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Scheme with lasting syllabus relevance; this release is mostly state procurement figures, so no question. Schemes are 52 of 327 Prelims questions but the facts here are routine.
Source: PIB, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, 23 Apr, 12:53 IST · Release 288166
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.