GoI Revises Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) Guidelines and Integrates It Under PM-AASHA.

National

On February 10, 2025, the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) revised the guidelines for the Market Intervention Scheme (MIS). As per the revised norms, the Government of India (GoI) has made MIS a component of the integrated scheme of Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA).


      - The MIS is implemented at the request of state or Union Territory (UT) governments for the procurement of perishable agricultural commodities such as tomato, onion, and potato, among others. It is activated when there is a minimum 10% reduction in market prices in a state or UT compared to the rates of the last normal season.

      - The PM-AASHA scheme was launched in 2018 to provide price assurance for pulses, oilseeds, and copra, ensuring financial stability for farmers. In 2024, the GoI extended the PM-AASHA scheme until 2025-26, with an allocation of Rs. 35,000 crore.

      - The Market Intervention Scheme (MIS) is an ad-hoc initiative by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) to prevent distress sales of perishable horticultural and agricultural commodities, ensuring fair prices for farmers during peak harvest periods when market prices drop.

Main Point :-   (i) MIS will now be implemented only when there is a minimum reduction of 10% in the existing market price compared to the last normal year.

      (ii) As per the revised guidelines, the procurement limit for crops under MIS has been increased from 20% to 25%.

(iii) State governments now have the option to directly pay the difference between the Market Intervention Price (MIP) and the Selling Price (SP) into farmers' bank accounts instead of physical procurement.

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