Eknath Khadse expresses displeasure over ‘delay’ in tur procurement

“Due to the delay in procurement of tur from farmers, earlier I was planning to launch a hunger strike,” Khadse said.

Cooperation Minister Subhash Deshmukh said as compared to last year, tur production has tripled this year. It is expected that tur production will touch 11.71 lakh quintal this year.

“When the government realised that tur prices are collapsing due to high production, it started intervening in the procurement through NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd), the Food Corporation of India and other agencies since December last year. So far, Rs 1,066 crore worth of tur dal has been procured and payments to farmers would be made before the end of the budget session,” the minister said.