Private stockist scheme for oilseeds procurement a 'non-starter'

The Centre’s ambitious plan to engage the private sector in the procurement of oilseed through Private Procurement and Stockiest Scheme (PPSS) under the PM-ASHAA programme has been a non-starter with no state willing to start any pilots or models to test the programme.

The private sector is not very inclined to participate in procurement, as it is not commercially viable for them given that the guidelines state that they would be compensated at the rate capped at 15 per cent of the notified Minimum Support Price (MSP) of the oilseed.

It would be entirely the private players’ responsibility to handle