Bengaluru, 15 Jan

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to approve immediate procurement of Bengal gram under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) to address mounting distress among farmers in the state.

In a letter written on January 14, the chief minister said Bengal gram growers were facing severe hardship as market prices remained well below the Minimum Support Price (MSP) during the ongoing Rabi marketing season.

Siddaramaiah noted that Bengal gram is a major pulse crop in Karnataka, cultivated across 9.24 lakh hectares with an estimated production of 6.27 lakh metric tonnes. The crop supports farmers in several districts, including Dharwad, Gadag, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bidar, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari, Chitradurga, Bagalkote, Davanagere and Chikkamagaluru.

Although the Centre has fixed the MSP for Bengal gram at Rs 5,875 per quintal for the 2026–27 Rabi season, the chief minister said prevailing market prices in Karnataka were far lower, ranging between Rs 4,260 and Rs 5,813 per quintal.

He pointed out that in multiple APMC markets, farmers were compelled to sell their produce at rates Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 below the MSP, even before peak arrivals had commenced.

Describing the situation as a crisis, Siddaramaiah said the failure of MSP-backed procurement on the ground was eroding farmers’ trust in institutional safeguards meant to protect their livelihoods.

With harvest arrivals expected to intensify between January and March, he warned that the absence of timely intervention could trigger further price declines and deepen rural distress.

The chief minister urged the Centre to approve procurement under the PSS without delay and direct central nodal agencies such as National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India and National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India to operationalise procurement centres across Karnataka.

Assuring full cooperation from the state government, Siddaramaiah said all required notifications had been issued, state agencies designated, and undertakings submitted in line with PSS guidelines.

He added that Karnataka was prepared to support farmer registration, warehousing, transportation and exemption of state levies to ensure smooth procurement.

“Procurement at MSP is not merely an administrative step but a reaffirmation of the nation’s commitment to its farmers,” the chief minister said, urging early approval to prevent distress sales and stabilise the market.