PM Aasha Yojana: Under the PM Aasha Yojana, the Modi government has launched the Pulses Self-Reliance Mission, which aims to increase farmers' income and achieve self-sufficiency in pulse production. The scheme focuses on 100% government procurement of pigeon pea, black gram, and lentils, guaranteed MSP, the establishment of processing units, and the creation of rural employment. PM Aasha will provide farmers with financial security and give new wings to their dreams.

PM Aasha Yojana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Pulses Self-Reliance Mission to make India self-reliant. Its objective is to achieve self-sufficiency in pulses by increasing domestic production, reducing dependence on imports, and sustainably improving farmers' incomes. The government not only aims to make the country self-reliant by increasing pulse production, but also to increase farmers' incomes. The government wants to ensure that pulse farmers receive the full value of their hard work and that their crops are procured on time. In this direction, the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) has been launched, which is a concrete step towards strengthening the economic security of farmers.

What is the PM ASHA Scheme?

The Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA) was launched in September 2018. Its goal is to provide farmers with remunerative prices for crops such as pulses, oilseeds, and copra, protecting them from market uncertainties. The government approved the extension of this integrated PM-AASHA scheme through September 2024 to increase pulse and oilseed production towards self-sufficiency. This government scheme includes three major components.

Price Support Scheme (PSS): Under this scheme, the government purchases farmers' produce at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).

Price Deficit Payment Scheme (PDPS): If the market price is lower than the MSP, the government compensates farmers for the difference.

Market Intervention Scheme (MIS): This scheme was launched to stabilize market prices and ensure the sale of farmers' produce.

What is the government's objective?

According to a report by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), under the PM ASHA scheme, the government has decided to ensure 100% procurement of key pulses such as pigeon pea (tur), black gram, and lentils. Under this initiative, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers Federation of India (NCCF) will procure directly from farmers. This arrangement will be implemented in all participating states within four years. Farmers will receive fair and timely prices for their produce. This initiative will attract farmers to pulse production, reducing India's dependence on imports and achieving domestic self-sufficiency.

Government Focuses on Processing and Value Addition

Another key objective of the government's mission is to strengthen the post-harvest value chain. To this end, the government will establish 1,000 processing and packaging units. Each unit will be provided with a subsidy of up to ₹2.5 million. These units will reduce crop losses, increase value addition, and create employment opportunities in villages. Furthermore, a cluster-based approach will be adopted based on the recommendations of the NITI Aayog. This will enable optimal resource utilization, geographical diversification, and regional balance in crop production.

Plan to Achieve Targets by 2030

The government has set clear goals for this mission, which it plans to achieve by 2030-31. These objectives include increasing the area under pulse cultivation to 31 million hectares, increasing production to 35 million tons, and increasing crop yields to 1,130 kilograms per hectare. These goals will not only make India self-sufficient in pulses but will also lead to a sustainable increase in farmers' income.

The scheme will become an economic security shield

The government's PM ASHA scheme will act as an economic security shield for the country. It will provide farmers with numerous benefits.

First, farmers will receive guaranteed MSP.

Market price uncertainty will be eliminated, allowing them to receive fair prices.

Reducing pulse imports will result in foreign exchange savings.

Climate-friendly and soil-healthy farming will be promoted.
New employment opportunities will be created for rural youth.

Farmers' dreams will take flight this way.

The PM ASHA scheme will not only help increase farmers' incomes but also provide them with a sustainable and respectable livelihood. This government initiative will prove to be a major game changer in transforming farmers from "food providers" to self-reliant entrepreneurs. This scheme will increase pulse self-sufficiency in India, create employment, and usher in a new chapter of rural development.

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