Gandhinagar, Sep 30 — Gujarat Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani has urged the Centre to raise the procurement ceiling for pulses and oilseeds under the PM-AASHA scheme from 25 per cent to 40 per cent of total production and sought the inclusion of castor in the minimum support price (MSP) procurement framework.
Vaghani made the demands while representing Gujarat at the two-day National Agriculture Conference – Rabi Campaign 2026 in New Delhi, chaired by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
The conference brought together agriculture ministers from states, senior officials of the Centre and states, and ICAR scientists to discuss preparedness for the Rabi season.
The Centre has identified pulses and oilseeds as key areas for the Rabi strategy.
Presenting Gujarat’s demands, Vaghani said the state should be allowed to procure pulses and oilseeds at support prices up to 40 per cent of total production, instead of the existing 25 per cent limit under PM-AASHA.
He also sought MSP coverage for castor, pointing out that Gujarat is the country’s leading producer of the crop, with production of 16 lakh metric tonnes, and said the move would be in the interest of castor-growing farmers.
"Gujarat currently had adequate seed stocks for the Rabi season," he said. He also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chouhan for ensuring an adequate, smooth supply of fertilisers to the state despite global circumstances.
The minister said the Gujarat government had increased its agriculture budget to more than Rs 17,000 crore for 2026-27 under Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel’s leadership.
The state also plans to launch ‘Kisan Suvidha Rath’ through EMRI-GVK in 53 talukas across 14 districts in tribal areas, providing farming-related services and guidance to farmers at their doorstep.
Vaghani said Gujarat is also promoting micro-irrigation to encourage efficient water use.
The Gujarat Green Revolution Company (GGRC) has brought 25.91 lakh hectares under micro-irrigation so far. In comparison, Rs 1,250 crore has been provided this year to bring another two lakh hectares under the system.
He further urged the Centre to replace old laws with new, stricter legislation to prevent adulteration. He sought early notification of a final protocol for testing nano-fertiliser samples.
Vaghani also sought permission to use the 'Special Central Assistance Fund' received under the AgriStack project in the coming years.
Under the Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation scheme, he requested additional allocation so that all more than 9,000 farmers who had applied could receive benefits.
The conference also discussed crop diversification, natural farming, the Digital Agriculture Mission, Farmer Registry, Digital Crop Survey, AgriStack, PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana, PM Fasal Bima Yojana and expansion of Kisan Credit Card coverage as part of the Centre-State strategy for the Rabi campaign.