The Center has extended the deadline for procurement of soybeans from Maharashtra, Rajasthan

The agency has extended the deadline for soybean procurement in Maharashtra to January 31, and in Rajasthan to February 4, following requests from state governments, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday.

The previous deadline was January 12 for Maharashtra and January 15 for Rajasthan.

“Procurement is going on. We have extended the deadline for procurement in Maharashtra and Rajasthan on the requests of the state governments,” Chouhan told reporters.

The government also allowed an additional purchase of 25,000 tonnes in Telangana, which has reached its initial target of 59,508 tonnes.

The total procurement of soybean across the country has reached 13.68 lakh tonnes so far, Chouhan said.

Procurement in Maharashtra and Rajasthan is done under the Price Support Scheme (PSS), where the government buys soybeans at a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 4,892 per quintal.

Chouhan said he will hold weekly meetings on Mondays at Krishi Bhavan to review crop conditions, procurement progress, price trends and weather.