The government has so far procured 1.8 million tonnes of kharif season pulses and oilseeds, which is less than half of the sanctioned procurement quantity of 3.78 million tonnes, even as procurement ends this month.

National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (Nafed), the government agency that buys pulses and oilseeds from farmers, attributed low procurement to lower than expected production and firm prices of a few pulses.

Last year, the government had purchased a record 2.55 million tonnes of pulses and oilseeds, achieving 75% of the targeted 3.36 million tonnes of summer harvest.

The procurement of winter pulses and oilseeds, which is likely to be completed by July this year, is also showing slow progress. As on May 15, the government has bought 1.09 million tonnes as against the sanctioned 4.55 million tonnes, according to data from Nafed.