Government extends PM AASHA scheme till 2025-26

The Government of India has extended the continuation of the integrated Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) Scheme till 31st March 2026. This was done to make the tenure of the PM-AASHA co-terminus with the term of the 15th Finance Commission, which ends on 31st March 2026.

Recent Changes Made in the PM-AASHA Scheme

Recently, the government of india has approved certain changes in the scheme as follows;

• The central government has allowed 100 %  procurement of Tur, Urad and Masur under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) in identified states for the procurement year 2024-25. 
• The Tur pulses will be procured from farmers in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
• The Tur will be procured through central government agencies, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumer Federation of India(NCCF).
• India is the world's largest importer of pulses in the world.

About the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan’ (PM-AASHA) 

The Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan’ (PM-AASHA) is a market intervention scheme launched by the central government in 2018.

The market intervention scheme seeks to ensure the farmers get remunerative prices.

Under this scheme, when agricultural commodities fall below the minimum support price (MSP), state and central procurement nodal agencies purchase them directly from the farmers at the MSP under specified Fair Average Quality. This ensures that farmers receive remunerative prices. 

Component of the PM -AASHA 

The PM-AASHA scheme comprises the Price Support Scheme (PSS),  Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Private Procurement and Stockist Scheme (PPSS).

 Price Support Scheme 

• Crops covered -  pulses(gram, tur, moong, urad, lentil), oilseeds(groundnut, rapeseed-mustard, soyabean, sesamum, sunflower, safflower, nigerseed)) and Copra.
• Procurement agency- Notified Central and State government agencies..

Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS)

• The scheme is only for Oilseeds on which the central government announces MSPs
• The State/Union Territory government has to opt for either a Price Support Scheme (PSS) or a Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) for a given procurement season.
• Unlike the PSS in PDPS, there is no physical procurement of agricultural commodities from the farmer.  
• The registered farmers under the PDPS scheme must sell their produce in the notified market through an auction method. 
• The difference between the auction and MSP prices is paid directly in the farmer's bank account.   

Private Procurement and Stockist Scheme (PPSS)

• The Private Procurement and Stockist Scheme (PPSS) is also for Oilseeds on which the central government announces MSP.
• State government can implement the PPSS scheme in districts or select APMC (Agricultural Produce & Livestock Market Committee)  with the participation of private stockists for oilseeds. 
• The private stockist will buy the notified oil seeds from the registered farmers at the MSP during the notified period.
• Under this scheme, the notified pilot district/selected APMC(s) of the district will cover one or more oilseed crops for which MSP has been announced.

 Know about MSP and Crops under it.