Amit Shah Announces Direct Pulse Procurement For All Farmers Within Two Years

Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) and the National Cooperative Consumers' Federation of India Ltd (NCCF) will purchase pulses directly from farmers across India within the next two years. This policy shift aims to eliminate middlemen, provide farmers with remunerative prices, and ensure payments are deposited directly into their bank accounts to boost agricultural productivity and ensure national self-reliance in pulses.

The announcement coincided with the launch of the e-auction portal Nafex.in and other digital initiatives designed to improve transparency in agricultural marketing. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Cooperation, NAFED has transformed its operations, increasing its turnover from Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 30,000 crore in three years, and now targets a turnover exceeding Rs 50,000 crore within two years as it scales infrastructure to the grassroots level.

NAFED has also committed to allocating 1 per cent of its profits for the higher education and career development of children from farming families. With the rise of middle-class household incomes in India—where nearly 34% of households earned above Rs 8 lakh in FY26—this initiative aligns with broader government goals to formalize the agricultural economy and provide sustainable financial support to rural populations.