The government of India has turned an acknowledging eye towards the plight of the farmers. Farmers, whose products and contributions form the very backbone of the Indian economy, usually end up on the poorer end of the economic spectrum. This could be attributed to rampant corruption on behalf of the middlemen who ensure that the farmer’s produce sells off at a higher price but the farmer himself gets very little.

To help and support the income of farmers and to ensure that they get their fair share of income, the government launched the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyaan or the PM-AASHA.

This scheme is meant to be an umbrella scheme which will provide Minimum Support Price or the MSP assurance to farmers.

Objective of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan

The main objective of the scheme is to ensure remunerative prices offered to farmers for their produce, as announced in the Union Budget for 2018.

The increase in MSP can thereby improve farmer’s income which will strengthen the procurement mechanism in coordination with the state governments.

More about the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan

The Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan is structured in such a way that it tackles various problems at once. In order to accomplish this, the scheme would be implemented in three distinct parts.

  1. The Price Support Scheme (PSS) – under the PSS, Central agencies will procure pulses, oilseeds, and copra with the proactive role of the respective state governments. Through PSS, the government will procure a whopping 25% of the marketable surplus of farmers for eligible crops.
  2. The Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) – under the PDPS, the state will provide a difference between prices prevailing in mandis and the MSP.
  3. The Pilot of Private Procurement and Stockist Scheme (PPPS) – instead of the PSS and PDPS, certain districts will try out the PPPS in which private agencies will get to procure oilseeds in coordination with the government.

What does the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan help accomplish?

  1. There is a definitive need to increase the implementation of the MSP procurement system at the moment, as the system is very poorly executed – both geographically and also in the number of crops covered.
  2. Recently, the Central government announced a hike in MSPs for several Kharif crops all around the world.
  3. That being said, it is said to pay farmers the cost of production (which would be determined by the CACP), plus a 50% ‘profit’ which would be offered while procuring.
  4. The scheme works extremely well for paddy, wheat, and select cash crops where the procurement is done directly by the industry.

In conclusion

Through the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan, farmers all around the nation get an added incentive to work towards cash crops and crops that benefit the finances and also the national economy. With the implementation of the PM-AASHA, farmers will no longer have to rely on uncertain weather and the mercy of corrupt middlemen.

This scheme sets the score right for all farmers, enhancing their income and adding to a better quality of life for them.