GI-tagged Kalaburgi tur producers seek separate MSP for the pulses variety

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Producers of Geographical Indication (GI) tagged tur dal (pigeon pea) in Karnataka’s Kalaburgi district have urged the Centre to fix a separate minimum support price for the pulses variety. A premium of about 20 per cent over the MSP for the general tur dal would give the GI-tagged produce its due recognition and help them incentivise to produce more, growers said.

The Karnataka Pradesh Red Gram Producers’ Association has sought the Prime Minister’s intervention in this regard. In a memorandum to the Prime Minister’s Office, the growers body has stressed upon the need to fix a scientific and reasonable price for the GI-tagged produce.

“A separate MSP, which is at least 20 per cent higher than the MSP for the general tur, would help farmers incentivise to produce the GI-tagged variety more,” said Basavaraj Ingin, President, Karnataka Pradesh Red Gram Producers’ Association. The Centre has announced an MSP of ₹7,550 a quintal for the 2024-25 kharif marketing season.

Uniqueness

The tur dal grown in the Kalaburagi district was awarded a GI tag in 2019. Largely cultivated under rain-fed conditions, this dal is unique to the region due to its soil quality, which has higher levels of calcium and potassium. This distinct soil composition imparts a unique taste and aroma to the dal. It is highly nutritious due to higher protein content, Ingin said.

“There is a need to market the produce differently compared to the general tur dal,” Ingin said, adding that there should be a separate MSP for GI tagged tur dal, which is 20 per cent higher than the normal produce. “We, therefore, earnestly appeal to your good self to kindly instruct the concerned, especially the Central Agricultural Prices Commission to reconsider MSP to classify between the general tur dal and GI tagged tur dal in the Kalaburgi district,” growers said in a memorandum to the PMO.

FPOs authorisation

This July, the Geographical Indication Registry has issued certification for 14 farmer producer organisations in Kalaburgi district authorising the use of the GI certificate. About 1,500 farmers have been registered with the FPOs and their land details using the GPS have been gathered to authenticate the sourcing, Ingin said adding that there would be more farmer registrations in the days ahead.

However, the FPOs lack infrastructure and the required capabilities including the financial support to take up the sourcing, processing and marketing of the GI-tagged produce, he said. A separate MSP for GI-tagged tur will give the commodity its due recognition in the mandis, Ingin added.

The Karnataka State Pulses Development Board has launched the Bhima brand pulses to market the GI-tagged Kalaburgi tur in the recent years. However, the volumes are small compared to the potential that the Kalaburgi tur offers, Ingin said. An estimated 20 lakh farmers in Kalaburgi district cultivate tur in areas ranging from 1-5 acres, he said.