Karnataka fixes toor dal SMP at Rs 4,000/qtl

The Karnataka government today fixed the State Minimum Price (MSP) for toor dal at Rs 4,000 per quintal and launched procurement of the produce from its 30 procurement centres to check crash in prices.

Anticipating a good harvest of toor dal in parts of North Karnataka and to arrest fall in prices which might affect growers, the state cabinet at its meeting here today decided to fix the SMP at Rs 3,000 per quintal, extending Rs 1,000 as an additional incentive. 

State Agriculture Minister Umesh Katti told reporters that the government will open 30 procurement centres in Gulbarga, Bidar, Raichur and Bijapur from tomorrow and purchase whatever be the arrival.

It has been decided to help farmers who lost their toor dal crops, following sowing of spurious seeds, he said.