Maharashtra Minister for Marketing Subhash Deshmukh today said that procurement centres of NAFED will continue to buy tur daal as long as farmers have the stock.
A bumper production of tur (red gram) this year has led to a fall in the prices.
The minimum support price offered by the state has given some relief to the farmers, Deshmukh said in a statement here.
The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), a Union Government's agency, had proposed to close 58 of its procurement centres in the state.
"But some farmers are still keen on supplying tur. We requested the Union Government to keep the centres open for some more days. It has been approved today," Deshmukh said.
The state had made a request in this regard to the Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh, he said.
The government has offered MSP of Rs 5,050 per quintal and to date 28 lakh quintals of tur have been purchased in the state.
It was estimated that till April 25, another 10 lakh quintals will be purchased, the minister said.
Overall, 317 procurement centres, including 118 run by NAFED, are operational in Maharashtra.
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