The Price Support Scheme (PSS) is a vital pillar of the Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA), launched in 2018 with the goal of ensuring farmers receive fair prices for their produce. The scheme is implemented by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, primarily for the procurement of oilseeds, pulses, and cotton at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) through NAFED.
In Odisha, MARKFED serves as the State Nodal Agency for the PSS. As part of the scheme, Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) are entrusted with procuring crops not only from their shareholder members but also from other eligible farmers in the community.
Since 2021, Livelihood Alternatives (LA) has been playing a proactive role in facilitating procurement through these FPCs, beginning its journey from Barkote. To date, procurement totaling 609.81 Metric Tons of Groundnut and Green Gram has been carried out, directly benefiting 875 farmer shareholders. An amount of ₹3,40,67,079 has been transferred directly to farmers' bank accounts via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), ensuring transparency and timely payments.